CD4⁺ T cells controlled ivag <i>C</i>. <i>trachomatis</i> challenge infection.

Abstract

<p>Uninfected Balb/cJ mice were ivag infected with <i>C</i>. <i>trachomatis</i> as described in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0162445#pone.0162445.g001" target="_blank">Fig 1</a> or remained uninfected. (A) Uninfected mice or mice 90 dpi were ivag challenged with 10⁶ IFU of <i>C</i>. <i>trachomatis</i> serovar D. At indicated dpi or dpc, mice were euthanized and UGT processed for H&E staining or analysis of CD3ε⁺ cells by IHC; representative images reveal intense mononuclear CD3ε⁺ infiltrate at 5 dpc (scale bar, 50 μm). (B) Quantification of CD3ε⁺ cell infiltrates with ImageJ software (as described in Methods) showed no statistically significant differences between mice at dpi 90 and dpc 21 (n = 15 per group) (bars indicate means). (C) <i>Chlamydia</i> DNA levels were determined by RT-qPCR mice in CVL specimens collected from mice during primary ivag infection, after ivag challenge, and after ivag challenge of mice administered antibodies depleting CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells 1 day prior to challenge and every other day until euthanasia. Areas under the curve (AUC) for bacterial clearance were compared as described in Methods, and this revealed CD4⁺ T cells were the T cell subset that controlled <i>Chlamydia</i> challenge; (n = 5 per group) (values are mean ±SD) (results representative of 2 independent experiments) (ND, non-detectable).</p