Abstract
Abstract It is estimated that 70% of chlamydial infections in women are asymptomatic and, if left untreated, can lead to severe irreversible complications including ectopic pregnancy and pelvic inflammatory disease. Chlamydia trachomatis infects cells in the cervix of the female genital tract and ascends to the upper genital tract (UGT) where it can cause diverse pathologies. It has been shown that Chlamydia-induced UGT pathology occurs even in the absence of live Chlamydia in the lower genital tract. The mechanism of ascending infection and disease is largely unknown. We hypothesize that the ascending infection leading to UGT pathology is mediated by exosomes. Exosomes are vesicles that can package intracellular molecules from donor cells and release their cargo into recipient cells thereby manipulating gene expression and cellular activity. To test our hypothesis, HeLa cells were infected with C. trachomatis serovar D and exosomes isolated from culture supernatants were characterized. Cytokines and chemokines from exosomes were assessed by a multiplex cytokine ELISA assay. Furthermore, purified exosomes were co-cultured with uninfected cells and the protein content of the lysed cells was examined. The results showed infected cells released higher concentrations of exosomes during early infection compared to uninfected cells and significantly higher levels of inflammatory cytokines were associated with these exosomes. Moreover, exosome recipient cells were found to contain chlamydial proteins. These results suggest exosomes could transport pathogenic chlamydial proteins from infected to uninfected cells with potential to stimulate inflammation in recipient cells and hence a possible mechanism for development of UGT pathology.
Published Version
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