title: Immunoglobulin-specific responses to Chlamydia elementary bodies in individuals with and at risk for genital chlamydial infection.
abstract: Renewed interest in chlamydia vaccination has revealed the need for a greater understanding of the seroprevalence of chlamydial infection in US populations. We used a Chlamydia trachomatis elementary body (EB)-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to define the characteristics of the humoral immune response and to determine seroprevalence. Two groups were analyzed: one consisting of patients with current, laboratory confirmed, genital chlamydial infection (n = 98) and one group of individuals whose chlamydia infection history was unknown (n = 367). C. trachomatis seropositivity was detected in 90% of the infected group and in 31% of the chlamydia-unknown group. IgG1 and IgG3 comprised the predominant anti-Chlamydia serum antibody responses. Serum IgA1 responses were variably positive, and individuals were rarely positive for anti-chlamydia IgG2, IgG4 or IgA2. The magnitude of the IgG1 and IgG3 responses was greatest in female and African American individuals and was sustained for at least 6 months. Antibody responses were not serovar restricted or confounded by Chlamydia pneumoniae cross-reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Geisler
authors.forename: Sandra G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Doemland
authors.forename: Shehzad M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Ausra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mancevski
authors.forename: Edward W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Hook
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G