title: Association of uterine and salpingeal fibrosis with chlamydial hsp60 and hsp10 antigen-specific antibodies in Chlamydia-infected koalas.
abstract: Infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae or Chlamydia pecorum commonly causes chronic, fibrotic disease of the urogenital tracts of female koalas. Studies of humans have associated titers of serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) against chlamydial hsp60 and hsp10 antigens with chronic infection, salpingeal fibrosis, and tubal infertility. To determine whether a similar relationship exists in Chlamydia-infected koalas, samples were collected opportunistically from 34 wild female koalas and examined by gross pathology and histopathology, PCR, and immunohistochemistry for Chlamydia spp. and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serological responses to chlamydial hsp10 and hsp60 antigens. Greater anti-hsp titers occurred in Chlamydia-infected koalas with fibrous occlusion of the uterus or uterine tube than in other Chlamydia-infected koalas (for hsp10 IgG, P = 0.005; for hsp60 IgG, P = 0.001; for hsp10 IgA, P = 0.04; for hsp60 IgA, P = 0.09). However, as in humans, some koalas with tubal occlusion had low titers. Among Chlamydia-infected koalas with tubal occlusion, those with low titers were more likely to have an active component to their ongoing uterine or salpingeal inflammation (P = 0.007), such that the assay predicted, with 79% sensitivity and 92% specificity, tubal occlusion where an active component of inflammation was absent. Findings of this study permit advancement of clinical and epidemiological studies of host-pathogen-environment interactions and pose intriguing questions regarding the significance of the Th1/Th2 paradigm and antigen-presenting and inflammation-regulating capabilities of uterine epithelial cells and the roles of latency and reactivation of chlamydial infections in pathogenesis of upper reproductive tract disease of koalas.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, B01, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. damienh@vetp.usyd.edu.au.
authors.forename: Damien P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hemsley
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Canfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D018835:Chaperonin 10 / Q000276:immunology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000276:immunology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000662:veterinary; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology; D048368:Phascolarctidae / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014599:Uterus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018835:Chaperonin 10; D018834:Chaperonin 60