title: PD-L1 limits the mucosal CD8+ T cell response to Chlamydia trachomatis.
abstract: Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Repeated infections with C. trachomatis lead to serious sequelae, such as infertility. It is unclear why the adaptive immune system, specifically the CD8(+) T cell response, is unable to protect against subsequent C. trachomatis infections. In this article, we characterize the mucosal CD8(+) T cell response to C. trachomatis in the murine genital tract. We demonstrate that the immunoinhibitory ligand, PD-L1, contributes to the defective CD8(+) T cell response. Deletion or inhibition of PD-L1 restores the CD8(+) T cell response and enhances C. trachomatis clearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fankhauser
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Starnbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D011828:Radiation Chimera; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C498919:Cd274 protein, mouse