Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
J Infect Dis. 2024 Sep 23;230(3):569-577. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiae092.
Chlamydia trachomatis testing and treatment strategies have not decreased infection rates, justifying need for a chlamydia vaccine. A murine study showed that a vaccine consisting of major outer membrane protein (MOMP) and polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmps) E, F, G, and H elicited protective immunity; studies on human cellular immune responses to Pmps are sparse.
Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) responses to these 5 proteins were measured by ELISPOT in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from women returning for treatment of a positive chlamydia test. Responses were compared in those with spontaneous chlamydia clearance versus persisting infection at baseline and no reinfection versus reinfection at a 3-month follow-up visit.
IFN-γ response to 1 or more proteins was detected in 39% at baseline and 51.5% at follow-up, most often to PmpE and MOMP. IFN-γ responses to MOMP were detected less often at follow-up versus baseline in women with reinfection, but were maintained in those without reinfection. Women with spontaneous clearance had a higher magnitude of IFN-γ response to PmpE and MOMP.
IFN-γ responses to these 5 C. trachomatis vaccine candidate proteins were heterogenous and primarily directed against MOMP and PmpE. Spontaneous chlamydia clearance and absence of reinfection may be clinical correlates of protection.
沙眼衣原体检测和治疗策略并未降低感染率，这证明需要开发一种衣原体疫苗。一项小鼠研究表明，由主要外膜蛋白（MOMP）和多态膜蛋白（Pmps）E、F、G 和 H 组成的疫苗可引发保护性免疫；关于人类对 Pmps 的细胞免疫反应的研究较少。
通过酶联免疫斑点法（ELISPOT）测量返回接受阳性衣原体检测治疗的女性外周血单核细胞中这些 5 种蛋白质的干扰素γ（IFN-γ）反应。在基线时具有自发衣原体清除与持续感染以及在 3 个月随访时无再感染与再感染的患者中比较反应。
基线时有 39%和随访时有 51.5%的患者检测到 1 种或多种蛋白质的 IFN-γ反应，最常见的是 PmpE 和 MOMP。在再感染的女性中，随访时 MOMP 的 IFN-γ反应较基线时减少，但在无再感染的女性中仍保持。自发清除的女性对 PmpE 和 MOMP 的 IFN-γ反应幅度更高。
这些 5 种沙眼衣原体候选疫苗蛋白的 IFN-γ反应呈异质性，主要针对 MOMP 和 PmpE。自发清除沙眼衣原体和无再感染可能是保护的临床相关因素。
