The Characterization Of The Kinetics Of Chlamydia Muridarum Infection In Defined Regions Of The Murine Genital Tract
Abstract
Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease worldwide, and leads to pathological sequelae including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. The continued increase in incidence rates of genital chlamydial infection over the last decade underscores a need for comprehensive understanding of the infection kinetics, host immune response, and disease pathogenesis. A mouse model of genital Chlamydia muridarum infection is generally employed in such studies, with most studies relying upon the enumeration of bacterial numbers from vaginal swab material to assess the kinetics of infection. Given the differences in tissue anatomy, hormonal regulation, and immune response among different genital regions, it is possible that kinetics of chlamydial infection as determined by vaginal swabbing may not accurately reflect the kinetics in other regions of the genital tract. In this study, we directly evaluated the kinetics of bacterial ascent into, and clearance from, defined regions of the reproductive tract using highly sensitive quantitative real-time PCR for the detection of Chlamydia genomes. The results of our study show that kinetics of chlamydial infection in different regions of the genital tract are comparable, with high numbers of organisms from day 3 through 18, and subsequent progressive reduction leading to complete clearance of infection around 30 days after challenge. The results also exhibit differences in the numbers of chlamydial organisms between different defined regions. Collectively, the results of this study provide in-depth insight into the kinetics of genital Chlamydia muridarum infection in defined regions of the murine female reproductive tract.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA486759
Entities
People
- Ilea Eskildsen
Organizations
- University of Texas at San Antonio