Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are the most prevalent infectious diseases in the world. Among the STIs, Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis)-related infections are the most common. C. trachomatis serovars D-K cause pelvic inflammatory diseases and infertility, while the LGV serovars are the pathogens that cause lymphogranuloma venereum, an STI with systemic manifestations. C. trachomatis infections have also been linked to arthritis and spondyloarthritis. C. pneumoniae is a frequent cause of communityacquired pneumonia and is suspected of participating in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases, such as asthma and atherosclerosis.
Human herpes simplex virus-1 (HHSV-1) and preferentially HHSV-2 genital
infections are common viral STIs. The number of HHSV-2 seropositive people (15–49 years) was estimated as 417 million in 2012, with an 11.3% prevalence in the population. Besides the vesicular lesions of the urogenital and anal regions, HSV infections may lead to severe complications including encephalitis, meningitis and neonatal herpes infections. C. trachomatis and HHSV-2 pathogens preferentially cause persistent or latent infections either locally (C. trachomatis) and/or from the site of the primary infection, such as in the
sacral ganglia for HSV-2 and joints for C. trachomatis. Because of the long-term
presence of the pathogens, there is a possibility that their infectious cycles, including the active and persistent growths, are influenced by locally or systematically applied compounds, including nanomaterials.
The standard method for counting chlamydiae is immunofluorescence staining and
manual counting of chlamydial inclusions. High- or medium-throughput estimation of the reduction in chlamydial inclusions should be the basis of testing antichlamydial compounds and other drugs that positively or negatively influence chlamydial growth, yet low-throughput manual counting is the common approach.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium. TiO2 exists in three most common forms: rutile, anatase and brookite. Titanium dioxide, in the anatase form, is a photocatalyst under ultraviolet (UV) light. The positive holes oxidize water to create hydroxyl radicals, by the strong oxidative potential. TiO2 nanoparticles have a strong bactericidal effect. The TiO2 reacts by photocatalysis with water to release the hydroxyl radical with subsequent formation of superoxide. The reactive oxygen species
can then synergistically act by attacking polyunsaturated phospholipids in bacteria and catalyzed site-specific DNA damage via generation of H2O2. TiO2 NPs are applied as a food additive or a drug delivery vehicle and we wanted to test their interactions with C.trachomatis and HHSV-2 to test their efficacy in non-activated form
