title: Resolution of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection Is Associated with a Distinct T Cell Response Profile.
abstract: Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection, the total burden of which is underestimated due to the asymptomatic nature of the infection. Untreated C. trachomatis infections can cause significant morbidities, including pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal factor infertility (TFI). The human immune response against C. trachomatis, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is poorly characterized but is thought to rely on cell-mediated immunity, with CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells implicated in protection. In this report, we present immune profiling data of subjects enrolled in a multicenter study of C. trachomatis genital infection. CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells from subjects grouped into disease-specific cohorts were screened using a C. trachomatis proteomic library to identify the antigen specificities of recall T cell responses after natural exposure by measuring interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels. We identified specific T cell responses associated with the resolution of infection, including unique antigens identified in subjects who spontaneously cleared infection and different antigens associated with C. trachomatis-related sequelae, such as TFI. These data suggest that novel and unique C. trachomatis T cell antigens identified in individuals with effective immune responses can be considered as targets for vaccine development, and by excluding antigens associated with deleterious sequelae, immune-mediated pathologies may be circumvented.
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA michele.picard@genocea.com.
authors.forename: Michele D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bodmer
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gierahn
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cohane
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: DeVault
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gurok
authors.affiliation: Blair & Company, LLC, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kohberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Darren E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Siber
authors.affiliation: Genocea Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica Baker
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Flechtner
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Geisler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040901:Proteomics; D060737:Reproductive Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D007371:Interferon-gamma