<i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> Serovars from the C-Complex and the B- and C-Related Complexes Are Significantly More Pathogenic than Those from the B-Complex in C3H/HeN but Not in BALB/c Mice
Studies in humans indicate that certain <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> serovars are more pathogenic than others. Specifically, several studies concluded that serovars from the C-complex are more pathogenic than those from the B-complex, although there are reports that do not support this f...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/1/97 |
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| Summary: | Studies in humans indicate that certain <i>Chlamydia trachomatis</i> serovars are more pathogenic than others. Specifically, several studies concluded that serovars from the C-complex are more pathogenic than those from the B-complex, although there are reports that do not support this finding. To investigate these results in an animal model, the eight genitourinary <i>C. trachomatis</i> serovars were tested in two strains of mice: C3H/HeN and BALB/c. These two strains of mice were investigated because C3H/HeN is more susceptible to <i>Chlamydia muridarum</i> infections than BALB/c, indicative of differences in their immunogenetic background. Mice were infected transcervically with 10<sup>5</sup> inclusion forming units of each of the <i>C. trachomatis</i> serovars, and vaginal cultures were collected. To determine the pathogenicity and its impact on fertility, at week seven post-infection, female mice were caged with male mice. In the C3H/HeN mice, significant differences in vaginal shedding and fertility were observed between serovars from the B-complex (D and E) and those from the C-complex (H, I, J) and B- and C-related complexes (G, F, and K). The animals infected with serovars F, G, H, I, J, and K shed less but had significantly more infertility than the mice infected with serovars D or E. The experiments in the BALB/c mice, however, did not show major differences in pathogenicity between the eight <i>C. trachomatis</i> serovars. These results support the findings in humans and emphasize the critical importance of the immunogenetic background of the host on the outcome of <i>C. trachomatis</i> infections. The data imply that management of <i>C. trachomatis</i>-infected patients may require a more personalized approach. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-0817 |