Chlamydia trachomatis infection: host immune responses and potential vaccines

• Published in: Mucosal immunology Vol. 1; no. 2; pp. 116 - 130
• Main Authors: Hafner, L, Beagley, K, Timms, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01-03-2008; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Allergology; Animals; Antibodies; Bacterial Vaccines - immunology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Chlamydia Infections - immunology; Chlamydia Infections - pathology; Chlamydia Infections - prevention & control; Chlamydia trachomatis - immunology; Chlamydia trachomatis - pathogenicity; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Gastroenterology; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Immunology; Male; Mice; Mucous Membrane - immunology; Mucous Membrane - microbiology; Mucous Membrane - pathology; review
• ISSN: 1933-0219; 1935-3456
• DOI: 10.1038/mi.2007.19

Chlamydia trachomatis
causes genital tract infections that affect men, women, and children on a global scale. This review focuses on innate and adaptive immune responses in the female reproductive tract (FRT) to genital tract infections with
C. trachomatis.
It covers
C. trachomatis
infections and highlights our current knowledge of genital tract infections, serovar distribution, infectious load, and clinical manifestations of these infections in women. The unique features of the immune system of the FRT will be discussed and will include a review of our current knowledge of innate and adaptive immunity to chlamydial infections at this mucosal site. The use of animal models to study the pathogenesis of, and immunity to,
Chlamydia
infection of the female genital tract will also be discussed and a review of recent immunization and challenge experiments in the murine model of chlamydial FRT infection will be presented.