Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Am J Reprod Immunol. 2011 Mar;65(3):190-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2010.00943.x. Epub 2010 Dec 9.
The innate and adaptive immune systems are important mechanisms for resistance to pathogens in the female lower genital tract. Lactobacilli at this site help maintain a healthy vagina by producing several factors including lactic acid. Indeed, bacterial vaginosis, a condition in which the genital microbiota is altered, is strongly associated with increased rates of a number of infections including HIV. However, the precise factors that contribute to increased rates of microbial and viral infections in bacterial vaginosis remain to be elucidated. We have studied the effects of bacterial microbiota in the lower genital tract on innate immunity and have found that Toll-like receptor ligands and short chain fatty acids, produced by bacterial microbiota, have dramatic effects on immune function. In this review, we will discuss these results, in addition to some recent articles that we believe will enhance our understanding of how microbes might interact with the immune system.
先天免疫系统和适应性免疫系统是女性下生殖道抵抗病原体的重要机制。该部位的乳杆菌通过产生包括乳酸在内的多种因子帮助维持阴道健康。事实上，阴道菌群失调（一种生殖菌群改变的病症）与包括 HIV 在内的多种感染的发生率增加密切相关。然而，导致细菌性阴道病中微生物和病毒感染率增加的确切因素仍有待阐明。我们研究了下生殖道细菌菌群对先天免疫的影响，发现细菌菌群产生的 Toll 样受体配体和短链脂肪酸对免疫功能有显著影响。在这篇综述中，我们将讨论这些结果，以及一些我们认为将增强我们对微生物如何与免疫系统相互作用的理解的最新文章。
