T cell phenotypes in women with Chlamydia trachomatis infection and influence of treatment on phenotype distributions

• Published in: Microbes and infection Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 176 - 184
• Main Authors: Ogendi, Brian M.O., Bakshi, Rakesh K., Gupta, Kanupriya, Kapil, Richa, Brown, LaDraka T., Jordan, Stephen J., Sabbaj, Steffanie, Press, Christen G., Lee, Jeannette Y., Geisler, William M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01.03.2018
• Subjects: Adaptive Immunity; Adolescent; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Chemokine receptors; Chlamydia Infections - drug therapy; Chlamydia Infections - immunology; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - immunology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation - immunology; Humans; Lymphocyte Activation - immunology; Membrane Glycoproteins - genetics; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Receptors, Chemokine - genetics; T cell; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Young Adult; Phenotypes; Chlamydia trachomatis; T cell; Chemokine receptors
• ISSN: 1286-4579; 1769-714X; 1769-714X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2017.12.001

T cell phenotypes involved in the immune response to Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) have not been fully elucidated in humans. We evaluated differences in T cell phenotypes between CT-infected women and CT-seronegative controls and investigated changes in T cell phenotype distributions after CT treatment and their association with reinfection. We found a higher expression of T cell activation markers (CD38+HLA-DR+), T helper type 1 (Th1)- and Th2-associated effector phenotypes (CXCR3+CCR5+ and CCR4+, respectively), and T cell homing marker (CCR7) for both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in CT-infected women. At follow-up after treatment of infected women, there were a lower proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing these markers. These findings suggest a dynamic interplay of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in CT infection, and once the infection is treated, these cell markers return to basal expression levels. In women without reinfection, a significantly higher proportion of CD8+ T cells co-expressing CXCR3 with CCR5 or CCR4 at follow-up was detected compared to women with reinfection, suggesting they might play some role in adaptive immunity. Our study elucidated changes in T cell phenotypes during CT infection and after treatment, broadening our understanding of adaptive immune mechanisms in human CT infections.