title: Association of tubal factor infertility with elevated antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis caseinolytic protease P.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to assess antibodies against Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock proteins (HSP) in patients with tubal factor infertility (TFI), infertility controls (IFC), and fertile controls (FC). HSPs assist organisms in surviving caustic environments such as heat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one TFI, 15 IFC, and 29 FC patients were enrolled after laparoscopic tubal assessment. The titers of antibodies against C trachomatis organisms and 14 chlamydial HSPs were compared among the 3 groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TFI patients developed significantly higher levels of antibodies against C trachomatis and specifically recognizing chlamydial HSP60 and caseinolytic protease (Clp) P, a subunit of the ATP-dependent Clp protease complex involved in the degradation of abnormal proteins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to confirming high titers of antibodies against C trachomatis organisms and HSP60 in TFI patients, we identified a novel link of TFI with anti-ClpP antibodies. These findings may provide useful information for developing a noninvasive screening test for TFI and constructing subunit anti-C trachomatis vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229,USA.
authors.forename: Allison K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yingqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: Blake
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berryhill
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Budrys
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Schenken
authors.forename: Guangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000276:immunology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D018834:Chaperonin 60; D010450:Endopeptidases