title: Effect of bovine lactoferrin on Chlamydia trachomatis infection and inflammation.
abstract: Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate, intracellular pathogen responsible for the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease worldwide, causing acute and chronic infections. The acute infection is susceptible to antibiotics, whereas the chronic one needs prolonged therapies, thus increasing the risk of developing antibiotic resistance. Novel alternative therapies are needed. The intracellular development of C. trachomatis requires essential nutrients, including iron. Iron-chelating drugs inhibit C. trachomatis developmental cycle. Lactoferrin (Lf), a pleiotropic iron binding glycoprotein, could be a promising candidate against C. trachomatis infection. Similarly to the efficacy against other intracellular pathogens, bovine Lf (bLf) could both interfere with C. trachomatis entry into epithelial cells and exert an anti-inflammatory activity. In vitro and in vivo effects of bLf against C. trachomatis infectious and inflammatory process has been investigated. BLf inhibits C. trachomatis entry into host cells when incubated with cell monolayers before or at the moment of the infection and down-regulates IL-6/IL-8 synthesized by infected cells. Six out of 7 pregnant women asymptomatically infected by C. trachomatis, after 30 days of bLf intravaginal administration, were negative for C. trachomatis and showed a decrease of cervical IL-6 levels. This is the first time that the bLf protective effect against C. trachomatis infection has been demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filardo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bressan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antimo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cutone
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frioni
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berlutti
authors.affiliation: b Department of Gynecological-Obstetric and Urological Sciences, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paesano
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Piera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valenti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007781:Lactoferrin
keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; IL-6; bovine lactoferrin; infection; inflammation; lactoferrine bovine