title: Cervical cytokine responses in women with primary or recurrent chlamydial infection.
abstract: Little is known about concurrent expression of cervical cytokines and their regulation by sex hormones during primary or recurrent chlamydial infections in humans. Cytokine (interleukin-1beta [IL-1beta], IL-6, IL-10, interferon-gamma [IFN-gamma], and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha]) concentrations in cervical washes and serum samples, along with levels of beta-estradiol and progesterone in women with primary or recurrent chlamydial infections and healthy controls, were measured by ELISA. Women with recurrent infections had significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma in cervical washes than did women with primary infections. Significant negative correlation was found between IL-1beta and progesterone levels during recurrent infections. Beta-estradiol levels in women with primary infections showed significant negative correlations with cervical concentrations of IL-10, IL-1beta, and IL-6. Our study suggests that Chlamydia trachomatis infection in the female genital tract may be regulated by both the synergistic actions of the cytokines and the sex hormones beta-estradiol and progesterone.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology (ICMR), Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Tanvi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: Vikas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vats
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Sudha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salhan
authors.forename: Aruna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mittal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol