title: Morphologic and molecular evaluation of Chlamydia trachomatis growth in human endocervix reveals distinct growth patterns.
abstract: In vitro models of Chlamydia trachomatis growth have long been studied to predict growth in vivo. Alternative or persistent growth modes in vitro have been shown to occur under the influence of numerous stressors but have not been studied in vivo. Here, we report the development of methods for sampling human infections from the endocervix in a manner that permits a multifaceted analysis of the bacteria, host and the endocervical environment. Our approach permits evaluating total bacterial load, transcriptional patterns, morphology by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and levels of cytokines and nutrients in the infection microenvironment. By applying this approach to two pilot patients with disparate infections, we have determined that their contrasting growth patterns correlate with strikingly distinct transcriptional biomarkers, and are associated with differences in local levels of IFNγ. Our multifaceted approach will be useful to dissect infections in the human host and be useful in identifying patients at risk for chronic disease. Importantly, the molecular and morphological analyses described here indicate that persistent growth forms can be isolated from the human endocervix when the infection microenvironment resembles the in vitro model of IFNγ-induced persistence.
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Maria E
authors: ME
authors: Lewis
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center Memphis, TN, USA.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Belland
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center Memphis, TN, USA ; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University Cairo, Egypt.
authors: Yasser M
authors: YM
authors: AbdelRahman
authors: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors: Wandy L
authors: WL
authors: Beatty
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Ashok A
authors: AA
authors: Aiyar
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Arnold H
authors: AH
authors: Zea
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Sheila J
authors: SJ
authors: Greene
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Marrero
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Lyndsey R
authors: LR
authors: Buckner
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Tate
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Chris L
authors: CL
authors: McGowin
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Pamela A
authors: PA
authors: Kozlowski
authors: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Michelle
authors: M
authors: O'Brien
authors: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Rebecca A
authors: RA
authors: Lillis
authors: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: David H
authors: DH
authors: Martin
authors: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Alison J
authors: AJ
authors: Quayle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010336:Pathology / Q000379:methods; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; bacterial persistence; endocervix; human; indole; interferon gamma