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

Publication date: Available online 26 December 2017
Source:Microbes and Infection
Author(s): Brian M.O. Ogendi, Rakesh K. Bakshi, Kanupriya Gupta, Richa Kapil, LaDraka T. Brown, Stephen J. Jordan, Steffanie Sabbaj, Christen G. Press, Jeannette Y. Lee, William M. Geisler
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 finding 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.



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