title: Chlamydia trachomatis: the role of cellular and humoral immune mechanisms in the development of blindness.
abstract: Ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis leading to trachoma is the commonest cause of treatable blindness worldwide. Although effectively controlled by improved sanitation, a chlamydial vaccine may prove a more cost-effective method of protection against this disease in the medium term. The development of vaccines against Chlamydia trachomatis has been hampered by a lack of understanding of the immune responses leading to protection or pathology, particularly in humans. Although a strong cell-mediated immune response (T helper lymphocyte type 1) is almost certainly necessary to resolve intracellular chlamydial infection, a humoral (T helper lymphocyte type 2) response may protect against colonization and limit immunopathological events. Recent studies addressing this potential conflict are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, St .George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK. sgjf300@sghms.ac.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghaem-Maghami
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lewis