Immunity to Sexually Transmitted Infections

Chlamydia Trachomatis Urogenital Infections

“…It is often assumed that immunity to N. gonorrhoeae will involve complementmediated bacteriolysis, which is undoubtedly important for immunity to the related N. meningitidis, as well as opsonophagocytosis by neutrophils, which are typically abundant in the exudate induced in symptomatic gonococcal infection. Both complement-mediated bacteriolysis and phagocytosis by neutrophils have been demonstrated in vitro using IgG antibodies generated by immunizing experimental animals, or IgG derived from human sera (Russell et al 2015c). However, it has also been shown that N. gonorrheae possesses multiple mechanisms for resisting complement, including the sialylation of its LOS, the ability to bind complement-regulatory proteins C4-binding protein and factor h, and the induction of antibodies to reduction-modifiable protein (Rmp) that block lysis mediated by antibodies against porin or LOS (Lewis et al 2010).…”

“…The importance of antibodies in the female genital tract in protection against viral infection has been demonstrated in several studies (Mestecky et al 2010;Russell et al 2015c). For example, passive immunization with SIVspecific antibodies of IgG and IgA isotypes protected rhesus macaques against intravaginal challenge with SIV (for review, see Xu et al 2015).…”

“…The protective effect of antibodies, mostly of the IgG isotype, has been demonstrated in the prevention of infection with human papilloma virus (HPV). Systemic immunization with available HPV vaccines induces specific antibodies in the circulation as well as in genital tract secretions, derived from the circulatory pool (Russell et al 2015c).…”

“…Other cell types present in the female genital tract tissues include macrophages, DC and NK cells with characteristic phenotypic properties and functional activities (Russell and Mestecky 2010;Lambrecht et al 2015;Smythies et al 2015). Studies of these cell populations in patients with STI are limited (Russell et al 2015c). Four main populations of antigen-presenting cells (APC) have been identified in human vaginal mucosa: Langerhans cells and CD14 − DC, which polarize toward Th2 responses, and CD14 + DC and macrophages, which polarize toward Th1 (Duluc et al 2013).…”

“…Ample attempts have been made in animal models as well as in humans to induce, by various immunization routes, pathogen-or sperm-specific antibodies to prevent infection or induce infertility in the female genital tract (Kutteh et al 1993;Mestecky 2002, 2010). Furthermore, in many studies, local immune responses to agents of STI have been evaluated (Russell et al 2015c). In humans, vaginal or intrauterine immunization with soluble antigens such as ferritin, bovine serum albumin, or inactivated polio virus vaccine did not stimulate vigorous local humoral responses, although oral or intramuscular immunization induced antibody responses of all major isotypes in serum and IgG responses in cervico-vaginal secretions (Ogra and Ogra 1973;Vaerman and Ferin 1974, for reviews see Kutteh et al, 1993;Russell and Mestecky 2010).…”