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Marques PX, Wand H, Nandy M, Tan C, Shou H, Terplan M, Mark K, Brotman RM, Wilson DP, Ravel J, Hsia RC, Bavoil PM. Serum antibodies to surface proteins of Chlamydia trachomatis as candidate biomarkers of disease: results from the Baltimore Chlamydia Adolescent/Young Adult Reproductive Management (CHARM) cohort. FEMS MICROBES 2022; 3:xtac004. [PMID: 37332497 PMCID: PMC10117858 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtac004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously observed that the nine-member family of autotransported polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmps) of Chlamydia trachomatis is variably expressed in cell culture. Additionally, C. trachomatis-infected patients display variable Pmp-specific serum antibody profiles indirectly suggesting expression of unique Pmp profiles is an adaptive response to host-specific stimuli during infection. Here, we propose that the host response to Pmps and other outer surface proteins may correlate with disease severity. This study tests this hypothesis using an ELISA that measures serum IgG antibodies specific for the nine C. trachomatis Pmp subtypes and four immunodominant antigens (MOMP, OmcB, Hsp60, ClpP) in 265 participants of the Chlamydia Adolescent/Young Adult Reproductive Management (CHARM) cohort. More C. trachomatis-infected females displayed high Pmp-specific antibody levels (cut-off Indexes) than males (35.9%-40.7% of females vs. 24.2%-30.0% of males), with statistical significance for PmpC, F and H (P < 0.05). Differences in Pmp-specific antibody profiles were not observed between C. trachomatis-infected females with a clinical diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and those without. However, a statistically significant association between high levels of OmcB-specific antibody and a PID diagnosis (P< 0.05) was observed. Using antibody levels as an indirect measure of antigen expression, our results suggest that gender- and/or site-specific (cervix in females vs. urethra in males) stimuli may control pmp expression in infected patients. They also support the possible existence of immune biomarkers of chlamydial infection associated with disease and underline the need for high resolution screening in human serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia X Marques
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, 650 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Handan Wand
- The Kirby Institute, Wallace Wurth Bldg, High St., UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Melissa Nandy
- Institute for Genome Science, University of Maryland, 670 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Chun Tan
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, 650 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Huizhong Shou
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, 650 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Mishka Terplan
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Maryland, 655 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Katrina Mark
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, 655 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Rebecca M Brotman
- Institute for Genome Science, University of Maryland, 670 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - David P Wilson
- Department of Infectious Disease Modelling, The Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Rd, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, 685 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Institute for Genome Science, University of Maryland, 670 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Ru-ching Hsia
- Electron Microscopy Core Imaging Facility, University of Maryland, 660 W. Redwood St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Patrik M Bavoil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland, 650 W. Baltimore St, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Tamarelle J, Ma B, Gajer P, Humphrys MS, Terplan M, Mark KS, Thiébaut ACM, Forney LJ, Brotman RM, Delarocque-Astagneau E, Bavoil PM, Ravel J. Nonoptimal Vaginal Microbiota After Azithromycin Treatment for Chlamydia trachomatis Infection. J Infect Dis 2020; 221:627-635. [PMID: 31573603 PMCID: PMC7530545 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We characterized the composition and structure of the vaginal microbiota in a cohort of 149 women with genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection at baseline who were followed quarterly for 9 months after antibiotic treatment. At time of diagnosis, the vaginal microbiota was dominated by Lactobacillus iners or a diverse array of bacterial vaginosis–associated bacteria including Gardnerella vaginalis. Interestingly, L. iners–dominated communities were most common after azithromycin treatment (1 g monodose), consistent with the observed relative resistance of L. iners to azithromycin. Lactobacillus iners–dominated communities have been associated with increased risk of C. trachomatis infection, suggesting that the impact of antibiotic treatment on the vaginal microbiota could favor reinfections. These results provide support for the dual need to account for the potential perturbing effect(s) of antibiotic treatment on the vaginal microbiota, and to develop strategies to protect and restore optimal vaginal microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Tamarelle
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 1181 , Université Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Institut Pasteur, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
| | - Bing Ma
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Pawel Gajer
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mike S Humphrys
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mishka Terplan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Katrina S Mark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anne C M Thiébaut
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 1181 , Université Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Institut Pasteur, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
| | - Larry J Forney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Rebecca M Brotman
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Elisabeth Delarocque-Astagneau
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 1181 , Université Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Institut Pasteur, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
| | - Patrik M Bavoil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Borgogna JLC, Shardell MD, Yeoman CJ, Ghanem KG, Kadriu H, Ulanov AV, Gaydos CA, Hardick J, Robinson CK, Bavoil PM, Ravel J, Brotman RM, Tuddenham S. The association of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium infection with the vaginal metabolome. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3420. [PMID: 32098988 PMCID: PMC7042340 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60179-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are two highly prevalent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with a significant rate of co-infection in some populations. Vaginal metabolites are influenced by resident vaginal microbiota, affect susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and may impact local inflammation and patient symptoms. Examining the vaginal metabolome in the context of CT mono (CT+) and CT/MG co-infection (CT+/MG+) may identify biomarkers for infection or provide new insights into disease etiology and pathogenesis. Yet, the vaginal metabolome in the setting of CT infection is understudied and the composition of the vaginal metabolome in CT/MG co-infected women is unknown. Therefore, in this analysis, we used an untargeted metabolomic approach combined with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize the vaginal microbiota and metabolomes of CT+, CT+/MG+, and uninfected women. We found that CT+ and CT+/MG+ women had distinct vaginal metabolomic profiles as compared to uninfected women both before and after adjustment for the vaginal microbiota. This study provides important foundational data documenting differences in the vaginal metabolome between CT+, CT+/MG+ and uninfected women. These data may guide future mechanistic studies that seek to provide insight into the pathogenesis of CT and CT/MG infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle D Shardell
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carl J Yeoman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Khalil G Ghanem
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Herlin Kadriu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Alexander V Ulanov
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Charlotte A Gaydos
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Justin Hardick
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Courtney K Robinson
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Patrik M Bavoil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jacques Ravel
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rebecca M Brotman
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Susan Tuddenham
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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