Degradation of Chlamydia pneumoniae by peripheral blood monocytic cells

Chlamydia pneumoniae Interferes with Macrophage Differentiation and Cell Cycle Regulation to Promote Its Replication

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a ubiquitous intracellular bacterium which infects humans via the respiratory route. The tendency of C. pneumoniae to persist in monocytes and macrophages is well known, but the underlying host-chlamydial interactions remain elusive. In this work, we have described changes in macrophage intracellular signaling pathways induced by C. pneumoniae infection. Label-free quantitative proteome analysis and pathway analysis tools were used to identify changes in human THP-1-derived macrophages upon C. pneumoniae CV6 infection. At 48-h postinfection, pathways associated to nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) regulation were stressed, while negative regulation on cell cycle control was prominent at both 48 h and 72 h. Upregulation of S100A8 and S100A9 calcium binding proteins, osteopontin, and purine nucleoside hydrolase, laccase domain containing protein 1 (LACC1) underlined the proinflammatory consequences of the infection, while elevated NF-κB2 levels in infected macrophages indicates interaction with the noncanonical NF-κB pathway. Infection-induced alteration of cell cycle control was obvious by the downregulation of mini chromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins MCM2-7, and the significance of host cell cycle regulation for C. pneumoniae replication was demonstrated by the ability of a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor Palbociclib to promote C. pneumoniae replication and infectious progeny production. The infection was found to suppress retinoblastoma expression in the macrophages in both protein and mRNA levels, and this change was reverted by treatment with a histone deacetylase inhibitor. The epigenetic suppression of retinoblastoma, along with upregulation of S100A8 and S100A9, indicate host cell changes associated with myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) phenotype.

Opsonophagocytosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae by Human Monocytes and Neutrophils

The human respiratory tract pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae, which causes mild to severe infections, has been associated with the development of chronic inflammatory diseases. To understand the biology of C. pneumoniae infections, several studies have investigated the interaction between C. pneumoniae and professional phagocytes. However, these studies have been conducted under nonopsonizing conditions, making the role of opsonization in C. pneumoniae infections elusive. Thus, we analyzed complement and antibody opsonization of C. pneumoniae and evaluated how opsonization affects chlamydial infectivity and phagocytosis in human monocytes and neutrophils. We demonstrated that IgG antibodies and activation products of complement C3 and C4 are deposited on the surface of C. pneumoniae elementary bodies when incubated in human serum. Complement activation limits C. pneumoniae infectivity in vitro and has the potential to induce bacterial lysis by the formation of the membrane attack complex. Coculture of C. pneumoniae and freshly isolated human leukocytes showed that complement opsonization is superior to IgG opsonization for efficient opsonophagocytosis of C. pneumoniae in monocytes and neutrophils. Neutrophil-mediated phagocytosis of C. pneumoniae was crucially dependent on opsonization, while monocytes retained minor phagocytic potential under nonopsonizing conditions. Complement opsonization significantly enhanced the intracellular neutralization of C. pneumoniae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and neutrophils and almost abrogated the infectious potential of C. pneumoniae In conclusion, we demonstrated that complements limit C. pneumoniae infection in vitro by interfering with C. pneumoniae entry into permissive cells by direct complement-induced lysis and by tagging bacteria for efficient phagocytosis in both monocytes and neutrophils.

Alternatively Activated Macrophages Are Host Cells for Chlamydia trachomatis and Reverse Anti-chlamydial Classically Activated Macrophages

The obligate intracellular pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) is the causative agent of the most common form of sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Genital infections with C. trachomatis can lead to inflammatory tissue damage followed by scarring and tissue remodeling during wound healing. Extensive scarring can lead to ectopic pregnancy or infertility. Classically activated macrophages (CA mϕ), with their anti-microbial effector mechanisms, are known to be involved in acute inflammatory processes during the course of infection. In contrast, alternatively activated macrophages (AA mϕ) contribute to tissue repair at sites of wound healing, and have reduced bactericidal functions. They are present during infection, and thus potentially can provide a growth niche for C. trachomatis during a course of infection. To address this question, macrophages derived from CD14-positive monocytes magnetically isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were treated with interferon-γ or interleukin-4 to produce CA mϕ or AA mϕ, respectively. Confocal microscopy of chlamydial inclusions and quantification of infectious yields revealed better pathogen growth and development in AA mϕ than CA mϕ, which correlated with the reduced expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, a known anti-chlamydial effector of the host. Furthermore, AA mϕ stained strongly for transferrin receptor and secreted higher amounts of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 compared to CA mϕ, characteristics that indicate its suitability as host to C. trachomatis. CA, AA, and resting mϕ were infected with Ctr serovar L2. The data suggest that IL-10 produced by infected AA mϕ attenuated the anti-chlamydial function of CA mϕ with growth recovery observed in infected CA mϕ in the presence of infected, but not mock-infected AA mϕ. This could be related to our observation that IL-10 treatment of infected CA mϕ promoted better chlamydial growth. Thus, in addition to serving as an additional niche, AA mϕ might also serve as a means to modulate the immediate environment by attenuating the anti-chlamydial functions of nearby CA mϕ in a manner that could involve IL-10 produced by infected AA mϕ.

In vitro analysis of genetically distinct Chlamydia pecorum isolates reveals key growth differences in mammalian epithelial and immune cells

Chlamydia (C.) pecorum is an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects and causes disease in a broad range of animal hosts. Molecular studies have revealed that this pathogen is genetically diverse with certain isolates linked to different disease outcomes. Limited in vitro or in vivo data exist to support these observations, further hampering efforts to improve our understanding of C. pecorum pathogenesis. In this study, we evaluated whether genetically distinct C. pecorum isolates (IPA, E58, 1710S, W73, JP-1-751) display different in vitro growth phenotypes in different mammalian epithelial and immune cells. In McCoy cells, shorter lag phases were observed for W73 and JP-1-751 isolates. Significantly smaller inclusions were observed for the naturally plasmid-free E58 isolate. C. pecorum isolates of bovine (E58) and ovine origin (IPA, W73, JP-1-751) grew faster in bovine cells compared to a porcine isolate (1710S). C. pecorum isolates could infect but appear not able to complete their developmental cycle in bovine peripheral neutrophil granulocytes. All isolates, except 1710S, could multiply in bovine monocyte-derived macrophages. These results reveal potentially important phenotypic differences that will help to understand the pathogenesis of C. pecorum in vivo and to identify C. pecorum virulence factors.

Interaction of Chlamydiae with human macrophages

The phylum Chlamydiae contains several members that are well-known human pathogens, like Chlamydia trachomatis and C. pneumoniae. Establishing a chronic bacterial infection requires the active evasion of the host immune response. A major arm of the innate immune defence is constituted by macrophages, which fight infections by removing bacteria and triggering an adaptive immune response. However, some pathogenic Chlamydia infect and survive in macrophages at least for a certain period of time. Therefore, macrophages can serve as vehicles for the dissemination of bacterial infections from the primary infection site via the urogenital or respiratory tract to distant sites in the body. The capacity to infect macrophages seems to depend on the chlamydial strain and the source of macrophages. In vitro infections of macrophages with C. trachomatis, C. psittaci and C. pneumoniae reveal low efficiency of infection and progeny formation, as well as failure to develop mature inclusions. In contrast, the emerging pathogen, Simkania negevensis, actively replicates in macrophages. Here we summarize the current knowledge of the intracellular and molecular key mechanisms of C. trachomatis, C. pneumoniae and S. negevensis infections in human macrophages.

M2 Polarization of Human Macrophages Favors Survival of the Intracellular Pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae

Intracellular pathogens have developed various strategies to escape immunity to enable their survival in host cells, and many bacterial pathogens preferentially reside inside macrophages, using diverse mechanisms to penetrate their defenses and to exploit their high degree of metabolic diversity and plasticity. Here, we characterized the interactions of the intracellular pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae with polarized human macrophages. Primary human monocytes were pre-differentiated with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor or macrophage colony-stimulating factor for 7 days to yield M1-like and M2-like macrophages, which were further treated with interferon-γ and lipopolysaccharide or with interleukin-4 for 48 h to obtain fully polarized M1 and M2 macrophages. M1 and M2 cells exhibited distinct morphology with round or spindle-shaped appearance for M1 and M2, respectively, distinct surface marker profiles, as well as different cytokine and chemokine secretion. Macrophage polarization did not influence uptake of C. pneumoniae, since comparable copy numbers of chlamydial DNA were detected in M1 and M2 at 6 h post infection, but an increase in chlamydial DNA over time indicating proliferation was only observed in M2. Accordingly, 72±5% of M2 vs. 48±7% of M1 stained positive for chlamydial lipopolysaccharide, with large perinuclear inclusions in M2 and less clearly bordered inclusions for M1. Viable C. pneumoniae was present in lysates from M2, but not from M1 macrophages. The ability of M1 to restrict chlamydial replication was not observed in M1-like macrophages, since chlamydial load showed an equal increase over time for M1-like and M2-like macrophages. Our findings support the importance of macrophage polarization for the control of intracellular infection, and show that M2 are the preferred survival niche for C. pneumoniae. M1 did not allow for chlamydial proliferation, but failed to completely eliminate chlamydial infection, giving further evidence for the ability of C. pneumoniae to evade cellular defense and to persist in human macrophages.

Host factors and genetic susceptibility to infections due to intracellular bacteria and fastidious organisms

While genetic polymorphisms play a paramount role in tuberculosis (TB), less is known about their contribution to the severity of diseases caused by other intracellular bacteria and fastidious microorganisms. We searched electronic databases for observational studies reporting on host factors and genetic predisposition to infections caused by intracellular fastidious bacteria published up to 30 May 2014. The contribution of genetic polymorphisms was documented for TB. This includes genetic defects in the mononuclear phagocyte/T helper cell type 1 (Th1) pathway contributing to disseminated TB disease in children and genome-wide linkage analysis (GWAS) in reactivated pulmonary TB in adults. Similarly, experimental studies supported the role of host genetic factors in the clinical presentation of illnesses resulting from other fastidious intracellular bacteria. These include IL-6 -174G/C or low mannose-binding (MBL) polymorphisms, which are incriminated in chronic pulmonary conditions triggered by C. pneumoniae, type 2-like cytokine secretion polymorphisms, which are correlated with various clinical patterns of M. pneumoniae infections, and genetic variation in the NOD2 gene, which is an indicator of tubal pathology resulting from Chamydia trachomatis infections. Monocyte/macrophage migration and T lymphocyte recruitment defects are corroborated to ineffective granuloma formation observed among patients with chronic Q fever. Similar genetic polymorphisms have also been suggested for infections caused by T. whipplei although not confirmed yet. In conclusion, this review supports the paramount role of genetic factors in clinical presentations and severity of infections caused by intracellular fastidious bacteria. Genetic predisposition should be further explored through such as exome sequencing.

Human blood monocytes support persistence, but not replication of the intracellular pathogen C. pneumoniae

Background

Intracellular pathogens have devised various mechanisms to subvert the host immune response in order to survive and replicate in host cells. Here, we studied the infection of human blood monocytes with the intracellular pathogen C. pneumoniae and the effect on cytokine and chemokine profiles in comparison to stimulation with LPS.

Results

Monocytes purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by negative depletion were infected with C. pneumoniae. While immunofluorescence confirmed the presence of chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the cytoplasm of infected monocytes, real-time PCR did not provide evidence for replication of the intracellular pathogen. Complementary to PCR, C. pneumoniae infection was confirmed by an oligonucleotide DNA microarray for the detection of intracellular pathogens. Raman microspectroscopy revealed different molecular fingerprints for infected and non-infected monocytes, which were mainly due to changes in lipid and fatty acid content. Stimulation of monocytes with C. pneumoniae or with LPS induced similar profiles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6, but higher levels of IL-1β, IL-12p40 and IL-12p70 for C. pneumoniae which were statistically significant. C. pneumoniae also induced release of the chemokines MCP-1, MIP-1α and MIP-1β, and CXCL-8, which correlated with TNF-α secretion.

Conclusion

Infection of human blood monocytes with intracellular pathogens triggers altered cytokine and chemokine pattern as compared to stimulation with extracellular ligands such as LPS. Complementing conventional methods, an oligonucleotide DNA microarray for the detection of intracellular pathogens as well as Raman microspectroscopy provide useful tools to trace monocyte infection.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12865-014-0060-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Differential infection outcome of Chlamydia trachomatis in human blood monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Background

Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacteria which consist of three biovariants; trachoma (serovars A-C), urogenital (serovars D-K) and lymphogranuloma venereum (L1-L3), causing a wide spectrum of disease in humans. Monocytes are considered to disseminate this pathogen throughout the body while dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in mediating immune response against bacterial infection. To determine the fate of C. trachomatis within human peripheral blood monocytes and monocyte-derived DCs, these two sets of immune cells were infected with serovars Ba, D and L2, representative of the three biovariants of C. trachomatis.

Results

Our study revealed that the different serovars primarily infect monocytes and DCs in a comparable fashion, however undergo differential infection outcome, serovar L2 being the only candidate to inflict active infection. Moreover, the C. trachomatis serovars Ba and D become persistent in monocytes while the serovars predominantly suffer degradation within DCs. Effects of persistence gene Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) was not clearly evident in the differential infection outcome. The heightened levels of inflammatory cytokines secreted by the chlamydial infection in DCs compared to monocytes seemed to be instrumental for this consequence. The immune genes induced in monocytes and DCs against chlamydial infection involves a different set of Toll-like receptors, indicating that distinct intracellular signalling pathways are adopted for immune response.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that the host pathogen interaction in chlamydia infection is not only serovar specific but manifests cell specific features, inducing separate immune response cascade in monocytes and DCs.

Infection of human monocytes by Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis: an in vitro comparative study

Background

An increasing number of studies suggest that chlamydiae can infect immune cells. The altered immune cell function could contribute to the progression of several chronic inflammatory diseases.

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) interactions with in vitro infected human blood monocytes.

Results

Fresh isolated monocytes were infected with viable CP and CT elementary bodies and infectivity was evaluated by recultivating disrupted monocytes in permissive epithelial cells.

The production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species was studied in the presence of specific fluorescent probes. Moreover, TNF-α, INF-α, INF-β and INF-γ gene expression was determined.

CT clearance from monocytes was complete at any time points after infection, while CP was able to survive up to 48 hours after infection. When NADPH oxydase or nitric oxide synthase inhibitors were used, CT infectivity in monocytes was restored, even if at low level, and CT recovery’s rate was comparable to CP one.

CT-infected monocytes produced significantly higher levels of reactive species compared with CP-infected monocytes, at very early time points after infection. In the same meanwhile, TNF-α and INF-γ gene expression was significantly increased in CT-infected monocytes.

Conclusions

Our data confirm that CP, but not CT, is able to survive in infected monocytes up to 48 hours post-infection. The delay in reactive species and cytokines production by CP-infected monocytes seems to be crucial for CP survival.

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchoring directs the assembly of Sup35NM protein into non-fibrillar, membrane-bound aggregates

In prion-infected hosts, PrPSc usually accumulates as non-fibrillar, membrane-bound aggregates. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor-directed membrane association appears to be an important factor controlling the biophysical properties of PrPSc aggregates. To determine whether GPI anchoring can similarly modulate the assembly of other amyloid-forming proteins, neuronal cell lines were generated that expressed a GPI-anchored form of a model amyloidogenic protein, the NM domain of the yeast prion protein Sup35 (Sup35(GPI)). We recently reported that GPI anchoring facilitated the induction of Sup35(GPI) prions in this system. Here, we report the ultrastructural characterization of self-propagating Sup35(GPI) aggregates of either spontaneous or induced origin. Like membrane-bound PrPSc, Sup35(GPI) aggregates resisted release from cells treated with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Sup35(GPI) aggregates of spontaneous origin were detergent-insoluble, protease-resistant, and self-propagating, in a manner similar to that reported for recombinant Sup35NM amyloid fibrils and induced Sup35(GPI) aggregates. However, GPI-anchored Sup35 aggregates were not stained with amyloid-binding dyes, such as Thioflavin T. This was consistent with ultrastructural analyses, which showed that the aggregates corresponded to dense cell surface accumulations of membrane vesicle-like structures and were not fibrillar. Together, these results showed that GPI anchoring directs the assembly of Sup35NM into non-fibrillar, membrane-bound aggregates that resemble PrPSc, raising the possibility that GPI anchor-dependent modulation of protein aggregation might occur with other amyloidogenic proteins. This may contribute to differences in pathogenesis and pathology between prion diseases, which uniquely involve aggregation of a GPI-anchored protein, versus other protein misfolding diseases.

The sst1 resistance locus regulates evasion of type I interferon signaling by Chlamydia pneumoniae as a disease tolerance mechanism

The sst1, “supersusceptibility to tuberculosis,” locus has previously been shown to be a genetic determinant of host resistance to infection with the intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacterium associated with community acquired pneumonia, and chronic infection with C. pneumoniae has been linked to asthma and atherosclerosis. C. pneumoniae is a highly adapted pathogen that can productively infect macrophages and inhibit host cell apoptosis. Here we examined the role of sst1 in regulating the host response to infection with C. pneumoniae. Although mice carrying the sst1 susceptible (sst1^S) locus were not impaired in their ability to clear the acute infection, they were dramatically less tolerant of the induced immune response, displaying higher clinical scores, more severe lung inflammation, exaggerated macrophage and neutrophil influx, and the development of fibrosis compared to wild type mice. This correlated with increased activated caspase-3 in the lungs of infected sst1^S mice. Infection of sst1^S macrophages with C. pneumoniae resulted in a shift in the secreted cytokine profile towards enhanced production of interferon-β and interleukin-10, and induced apoptotic cell death, which was dependent on secretion of interferon-β. Intriguingly macrophages from the sst1^S mice failed to support normal chlamydial growth, resulting in arrested development and failure of the organism to complete its infectious cycle. We conclude that the sst1 locus regulates a shared macrophage-mediated innate defense mechanism against diverse intracellular bacterial pathogens. Its susceptibility allele leads to upregulation of type I interferon pathway, which, in the context of C. pneumoniae, results in decreased tolerance, but not resistance, to the infection. Further dissection of the relationship between type I interferons and host tolerance during infection with intracellular pathogens may provide identification of biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a highly adapted intracellular pathogen and a common cause of atypical, community acquired pneumonia. It has also been suggested as a trigger or promoter of asthma and atherosclerosis. In this study, we examined the role of a genetic locus on mouse chromosome 1 that has been associated with susceptibility to another intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in the pathogenesis of respiratory infections secondary to Chlamydia pneumoniae. We have determined that a variant at this locus, known as sst1 and associated with destructive pulmonary tuberculosis, makes mice dramatically more sensitive in vivo to the inflammatory changes following respiratory infection with C. pneumoniae. This appears to arise from activation of type I interferons and apoptotic cell death, two signaling pathways that are normally silent during productive C. pneumoniae infection. Despite a noted inability of sst1 susceptible macrophages to support chlamydial development, exuberant lung tissue damage resulted in overall more severe disease in vivo. We conclude the sst1-mediated control of lung tissue damage is an important determinant of the genetic susceptibility of a given host to a number of diverse intracellular bacterial pathogens, which may provide predictors of outcomes to infectious diseases as well as possible target for novel therapeutics.

Perforin-2 restricts growth of Chlamydia trachomatis in macrophages

Chlamydia trachomatis is a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium that preferentially infects epithelial cells. Professional phagocytes provide C. trachomatis only a limited ability to survive and are proficient killers of chlamydiae. We present evidence herein that identifies a novel host defense protein, perforin-2, that plays a significant role in the eradication of C. trachomatis during the infection of macrophages. Knockdown of perforin-2 in macrophages did not alter the invasion of host cells but did result in chlamydial growth that closely mirrored that detected in HeLa cells. C trachomatis L2, serovar B, and serovar D and C. muridarum were all equally susceptible to perforin-2-mediated killing. Interestingly, induction of perforin-2 expression in epithelial cells is blocked during productive chlamydial growth, thereby protecting chlamydiae from bactericidal attack. Ectopic expression of perforin-2 in HeLa cells, however, does result in killing. Overall, our data implicate a new innate resistance protein in the control of chlamydial infection and may help explain why the macrophage environment is hostile to chlamydial growth.

Doxycycline suppresses Chlamydia pneumoniae-mediated increases in ongoing immunoglobulin E and interleukin-4 responses by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with allergic asthma

OBJECTIVES

Chlamydia pneumoniae, an obligate intracellular bacterium, has been associated with asthma and the induction of immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses. Whereas tetracyclines have anti-chlamydial activity, their effect on human IgE responses to C. pneumoniae has not been studied.

METHODS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from serum IgE+ allergic asthmatic subjects (n = 11) and healthy controls (n = 12) were infected with C. pneumoniae and cultured for 12 days with or without doxycycline (0.01-1.0 mg/L). IgE, interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-4 levels in supernatants were determined on days 1-12 post-infection, and C. pneumoniae DNA copy numbers in PBMC culture were measured on day 2 (quantitative PCR).

RESULTS

C. pneumoniae-infected PBMCs from allergic asthmatic individuals had increased levels of IgE in supernatants compared with uninfected PBMCs (520% on day 10 post-infection, P = 0.008). IgE levels in PBMC cultures from controls were undetectable (<0.3 ng/mL). Increases in C. pneumoniae-induced IgE in asthmatics correlated with those of C. pneumoniae-induced IL-4 (r = 0.98; P < 0.001), but not with IFN-γ. The addition of doxycycline (1.0 mg/L) to the culture strongly suppressed the production of IgE (>70%, P = 0.04) and IL-4 (75%, P = 0.018), but not IFN-γ. The suppressive effect on IL-4 production remained significant even at concentrations of doxycycline that were subinhibitory (0.01 mg/L) for C. pneumoniae. In both asthmatic participants and controls, no significant effect of doxycycline on DNA copy numbers of C. pneumoniae was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Doxycycline suppressed the C. pneumoniae-induced production of IgE and IL-4, but not IFN-γ, in PBMCs from IgE+ allergic asthmatic subjects. These findings resulted from the immunomodulatory anti-allergic properties of tetracyclines.

Chlamydia pneumoniae impairs the innate immune response in infected epithelial cells by targeting TRAF3

Type I IFNs are induced during microbial infections and have well-characterized antiviral activities. TRAF3 is a signaling molecule crucial for type I IFN production and, therefore, represents a potential target for disarming immune responses. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a human pathogen that primarily infects respiratory epithelial cells; the onset of symptoms takes several weeks, and the course of infection is protracted. C. pneumoniae has also been associated with a variety of chronic inflammatory conditions. Thus, typical C. pneumoniae infections of humans are consistent with an impairment in inflammatory responses to the microorganism. We demonstrate that infection of epithelial cells with C. pneumoniae does not lead to IFN-β production. Instead, infected cells are prevented from activating IFN regulatory factor 3. This effect is mediated by C. pneumoniae-dependent degradation of TRAF3, which is independent of a functional proteasome. Hence, it is likely that C. pneumoniae expresses a unique protease targeting TRAF3-dependent immune effector mechanisms.

Chlamydia pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 enhances expression of ERK, TLR-4 and IL-8 in atheromatous plaques of coronary artery disease patients

Chlamydia pneumoniae heat shock protein (cHSP) 60 is produced during chronic chlamydial infection and activate innate immune and inflammatory responses thereby contributing to atherogenesis. However, to date there is no apparent signaling cascade delineated in human atherosclerotic plaques in C. pneumoniae positive coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Atherosclerotic plaques were obtained from 40 CAD patients (28 men, 12 women) attending Department of Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Atherosclerotic plaques were used for gene expression studies at RNA level by real-time PCR and to study expression of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, NF-kB, IkkB and MCP-1 at protein level by immunoblotting. Significantly higher (p < 0.001) RNA expression was found for IL-8, TLR-2/4, TGF-β, ICAM1, VCAM1 and MAPKinase genes, whereas significantly lower (p < 0.001) RNA expression for SMAD4, IkkB, BRCA1 and IL-10 was detected in cHSP60-positive atheromatous plaque of CAD patients. Moreover, at proteins level pERK1/2 (p = 0.05), NF-kB (p = 0.017), MCP-1 (p = 0.011) was higher and IkkB expression was lower (p = 0.038) in cHSP60-positive atheromatous plaque of CAD patients. This study by using human atheromatous plaques at RNA and protein levels demonstrated higher expression of TLR-2/4, IL-8, ICAM1, VCAM1, ERK1/2 and NF-kB in cHSP60-positive CAD patients.

Regulation of chlamydial infection by host autophagy and vacuolar ATPase-bearing organelles

As arguably the most successful parasite, Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterium replicating inside a vacuole of eukaryotic host cells. The chlamydial vacuole does not fuse with the defense cell organelle lysosome. We previously showed that chlamydial infection increases markers of autophagy, an innate antimicrobial activity requiring lysosomal function. However, the work presented here demonstrates that p62, an autophagy protein that is degraded in lysosomes, either remained unchanged or increased in chlamydia-infected human epithelial, mouse fibroblast, and mouse macrophage cell lines. In addition, the activities of three lysosomal enzymes analyzed were diminished in chlamydia-infected macrophages. Bafilomycin A1 (BafA), a specific inhibitor of vacuolar ATPase (vATPase) required for lysosomal function, increased the growth of the human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis (L2) in wild-type murine fibroblasts and macrophages but inhibited growth in the autophagy-deficient ATG5(-/-) fibroblasts. BafA exhibited only slight inhibition or no effect on L2 growth in multiple human genital epithelial cell lines. In contrast to L2, the mouse pathogen Chlamydia muridarum (MoPn) was consistently inhibited by BafA in all cell lines examined, regardless of species origin and autophagy status. Finally, L2 but not MoPn grew more efficiently in the ATG5(-/-) cells than in wild-type cells. These results suggest that there are two types of vATPase-bearing organelles that regulate chlamydial infection: one supports chlamydial infection, while the other plays a defensive role through autophagy when cells are artificially infected with certain chlamydiae that have not been adapted to the host species.

Chlamydiales and the innate immune response: friend or foe?

Pathogenicity of Chlamydia and Chlamydia-related bacteria could be partially mediated by an enhanced activation of the innate immune response. The study of this host pathogen interaction has proved challenging due to the restricted in vitro growth of these strict intracellular bacteria and the lack of genetic tools to manipulate their genomes. Despite these difficulties, the interactions of Chlamydiales with the innate immune cells and their effectors have been studied thoroughly. This review aims to point out the role of pattern recognition receptors and signal molecules (cytokines, reactive oxygen species) of the innate immune response in the pathogenesis of chlamydial infection. Besides inducing clearance of the bacteria, some of these effectors may be used by the Chlamydia to establish chronic infections or to spread. Thus, the induced innate immune response seems to be variable depending on the species and/or the serovar, making the pattern more complex. It remains crucial to determine the common players of the innate immune response in order to help define new treatment strategies and to develop effective vaccines. The excellent growth in phagocytic cells of some Chlamydia-related organisms such as Waddlia chondrophila supports their use as model organisms to study conserved features important for interactions between the innate immunity and Chlamydia.

Chlamydia pneumoniae hides inside apoptotic neutrophils to silently infect and propagate in macrophages

BACKGROUND

Intracellular pathogens have developed elaborate strategies for silent infection of preferred host cells. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common pathogen in acute infections of the respiratory tract (e.g. pneumonia) and associated with chronic lung sequelae in adults and children. Within the lung, alveolar macrophages and polymorph nuclear neutrophils (PMN) are the first line of defense against bacteria, but also preferred host phagocytes of chlamydiae.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We could show that C. pneumoniae easily infect and hide inside neutrophil granulocytes until these cells become apoptotic and are subsequently taken up by macrophages. C. pneumoniae infection of macrophages via apoptotic PMN results in enhanced replicative activity of chlamydiae when compared to direct infection of macrophages, which results in persistence of the pathogen. Inhibition of the apoptotic recognition of C. pneumoniae infected PMN using PS- masking Annexin A5 significantly lowered the transmission of chlamydial infection to macrophages. Transfer of apoptotic C. pneumoniae infected PMN to macrophages resulted in an increased TGF-ss production, whereas direct infection of macrophages with chlamydiae was characterized by an enhanced TNF-alpha response.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Taken together, our data suggest that C. pneumoniae uses neutrophil granulocytes to be silently taken up by long-lived macrophages, which allows for efficient propagation and immune protection within the human host.

Amalgamation of Chlamydia pneumoniae inclusions with lipid droplets in foam cells in human atherosclerotic plaque

Chlamydia pneumoniae (Chlamydophila pneumoniae) infect macrophages and accelerates foam cell formation in in vitro experiments, but whether this might occur in human atherosclerosis is unknown. In the present study, we examined 17 carotid artery segments, obtained by endarterectomy, in which the presence of C. pneumoniae was confirmed by both polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Electron microscopy demonstrated the presence of structures with the appearance of elementary, reticulate and aberrant bodies of C. pneumoniae in the cytoplasm of macrophage foam cells. The volume of the cytoplasm that was free from vacuoles and lipid droplets in C. pneumoniae-infected foam cells was dramatically reduced, and a phenomenon of the amalgamation of C. pneumoniae inclusions with lipid droplets was detected. Double immunohistochemistry showed that C. pneumoniae-infected foam cells contained a large number of oxidized low-density lipoproteins. The observations provide support to the hypothesis that C. pneumoniae could affect foam cell formation in human atherosclerosis.

Expression of bacterial genes and induction of INF-gamma in human myeloid dendritic cells during persistent infection with Chlamydophila pneumoniae

The interactions between human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cpn) infection were investigated. Cpn infection induced the maturation and functional activation of DCs, and Cpn antigens were present in all of the subpopulations during the maturation process. Chlamydial antigens were detected in DCs during an observation period of 28 days. The exponential production of infectious elementary bodies was not observed. Chlamydial transcripts of the 16S rRNA gene, groEL-1 and omcB genes were expressed, as determined by a quantitative real-time PCR, but the expression of the ftsK gene was limited. DC cultures produced IFN-gamma, but the presence of IFN-gamma in the culture medium was not the major factor that decreased the growth of Cpn, as was shown by neutralization of the IFN-gamma. A cell population identified as producing IFN-gamma had no markers for T, B, natural killer, monocyte cells or macrophages but displayed DC morphology and the expression of specific DC markers, such as CD11c and HLA-DR. These results reveal a persistent infection of DCs with the expression of some, but not cell division-related genes and the production of IFN-gamma that may contribute to the pathomechanism of chronic inflammatory diseases associated with persistent Cpn infection.

Transmission of Chlamydophila pneumoniae from dendritic cells to macrophages does not require cell-to-cell contact in vitro

Chlamydophila pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) has been detected in macrophages (Mø) and dendritic cells (DC) in vascular diseases. To understand the importance of these cell types in C. pneumoniae infection and transmission, we infected DC and cultivated them with Mø in a coculture model system which precludes cell-to-cell contact during chlamydial infection. C. pneumoniae inside living DC were labeled and tracked with a red fluorescent ceramide dye. Subsequently, red-coloured chlamydial inclusions were detected 3 and 5 days later in cocultured Mø. Moreover, standard assays revealed infectious elementary bodies in infected DC and cocultured Mø. Assays for chlamydial gene expression indicated vital and dividing chlamydiae in both cell types. In summary, the results suggest that the transwell system employed here is a suitable model to investigate the transmission of C. pneumoniae from DC to Mø. Importantly, the observations presented demonstrate that transmission is independent of cell-to-cell contact.

Waddlia chondrophila enters and multiplies within human macrophages

Waddlia chondrophila is an obligate intracellular bacterium of the Chlamydiales order. W. chondrophila has been isolated twice from aborted bovine foetuses and a serological study supported the abortigenic role of W. chondrophila in bovine species. Recently, we observed a strong association between the presence of anti-Waddlia antibodies and human miscarriage. To further investigate the pathogenic potential of W. chondrophila in humans, we studied the entry and the multiplication of this Chlamydia-like organism in human macrophages. Confocal and electron microscopy confirmed that W. chondrophila is able to enter human monocyte-derived macrophages. Moreover, W. chondrophila multiplied readily within macrophages. The proportion of infected macrophages increased from 13% at day 0 to 96% at day 4, and the mean number of bacteria per macrophage increased by 3logs in 24h. Intracellular growth of W. chondrophila was associated with a significant cytopathic effect. Thus, W. chondrophila may enter and grow rapidly within human macrophages, inducing lysis of infected cells. Since macrophages are one of the major components of the innate immune response, these findings indirectly suggest the possible human pathogenicity of W. chondrophila.

Endothelial cells are protected against phagocyte-transmitted Chlamydophila pneumoniae infections by laminar shear stress Gueinzius: Shear stress protects from C. pneumoniae infection

The respiratory pathogen Chlamydophila pneumoniae can be detected in atherosclerotic vessels, but the mechanism of dissemination from lung to vasculature remains unknown. Disturbance of vascular shear stress is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We investigated whether polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) might serve as carriers, transmitting C. pneumoniae to endothelial cells and how this is affected by shear stress. PMN were prepared from blood and incubated with C. pneumoniae. Real-time PCR and Pathfinder staining showed that after 1h, 20% of C. pneumoniae were ingested and started to form inclusions. When infected PMN were co-incubated with HUVEC for 96h, 10% of PMN-ingested C. pneumoniae were transmitted to HUVEC as shown by PCR and confocal microscopy. Infection of HEp-2 cells with C. pneumoniae harvested from HUVEC resulted in C. pneumoniae replication and confirmed that the bacteria remained infective. Exposure to laminar shear stress in a rotating cone-and-plate apparatus did not affect the transmission of C. pneumoniae from PMN to HUVEC, but led to a 75% reduction of inclusion formation. This can explain the focal distribution of C. pneumoniae in the vasculature and links two risk factors of atherosclerosis, i.e. the lack of laminar flow and infection.

Survival of Chlamydia muridarum within dendritic cells

Immune responses to Chlamydia trachomatis underlay both immunity and immunopathology. Immunopathology in turn has been attributed to chronic persistent infection with persistence being defined as the presence of organisms in the absence of replication. We hypothesized that dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in Chlamydia immunity and immunopathology by favoring the long-term survival of C. muridarum. This hypothesis was examined based on (i) direct staining of Chlamydia in infected DCs to evaluate the development of inclusions, (ii) titration of infected DCs on HeLa cells to determine cultivability, and (iii) transfer of Chlamydia-infected DCs to naive mice to evaluate infectivity. The results show that Chlamydia survived within DCs and developed both typical and atypical inclusions that persisted in a subpopulation of DCs for more than 9 days after infection. Since the cultivability of Chlamydia from DCs onto HeLa was lower than that estimated by the number of inclusions in DCs, this suggests that the organisms may be in state of persistence. Intranasal transfer of long-term infected DCs or DCs purified from the lungs of infected mice caused mouse lung infection, suggesting that in addition to persistent forms, infective Chlamydia organisms also developed within chronically infected DCs. Interestingly, after in vitro infection with Chlamydia, most DCs died. However, Chlamydia appeared to survive in a subpopulation of DCs that resisted infection-induced cell death. Surviving DCs efficiently presented Chlamydia antigens to Chlamydia-specific CD4+ T cells, suggesting that the bacteria are able to both direct their own survival and still allow DC antigen-presenting function. Together, these results raise the possibility that Chlamydia-infected DCs may be central to the maintenance of T-cell memory that underlies both immunity and immunopathology.

Impact of latent infections with Chlamydophila species in young cattle

To assess long-term effects of naturally occurring infection with Chlamydophila spp. on animal health, 25 calves were grouped according to their chlamydial carrier status and checked for health parameters from 2 to 7 months of age. Monthly PCR testing revealed persistent or frequently recurring infections with Chlamydophila pecorum and Chlamydophila abortus in Group 2 (Chl+, n=13), but not in Group 1 (Chl-, n=12). Despite the absence of any clinical illness, calves in Group 2 showed significantly higher body temperatures (subfebrile), lower bodyweights, reduced serum iron concentrations, lower total haemoglobin and haematocrit values. Counting and flow cytometric differentiation of peripheral white blood cells revealed a general decrease in leukocytes in Group 2. At necropsy, follicular bronchiolitis was found in 10/13 calves in Group 2 but in none of Group 1, and the weight of pharyngeal tonsils was significantly higher in Group 2. In conclusion, naturally occurring infections with Chlamydophila species in calves were found to be associated with chronic effects on animal health at a subclinical level.

Differential effects of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection on cytokine levels in human T lymphocyte- and monocyte-derived cell cultures

Continuous cultures of human lymphocyte- and monocyte-derived cell lines were examined for levels of immunoregulatory cytokines important in resistance to the intracellular opportunistic bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp), a ubiquitous pathogen widely disseminated in the population and hypothesized to be involved in chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. The results of this study showed that the continuous human T lymphocyte cell line MOLT-4 and the continuous monocytic cell line THP-1 were readily infected by Cp in vitro as shown by immunofluorescence microscopy for Cp lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The 16S rRNA expression determined by real-time RT-PCR increased rapidly after infection of either cell line with these bacteria. The THP-1 cells infected with Cp showed increased levels of the immunoregulatory cytokine IL-12 and also of TNFalpha and IL-10 compared to cultures stimulated with heat-killed Cp (KCp) or Escherichia coli LPS as a control. Stimulation of MOLT-4 cells with KCp or E. coli LPS also induced the Th1 cytokines IFNgamma and IL-12 and the Th2 cytokine IL-10, but infection with viable Cp induced higher Th1 cytokine levels. These results suggest that Cp infection induces a predominant Th1 cytokine profile by T cells, in addition to induction of TNFalpha by monocytes/macrophages. Such effects are likely involved in antibacterial immunity against Cp infection.