INDUCTION OF MESSENGER-RNA FOR THE 70 KDA HEAT-SHOCK-PROTEIN IN HELA-CELLS AND THE HUMAN ENDOCERVIX FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TO SEMEN - IMPLICATIONS FOR ANTISPERM ANTIBODY-PRODUCTION AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

The 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) is induced in cells exposed to c hemical or physical stress. HSP70 facilitates cell survival by prevent ing protein denaturation and incorrect assembly of polypeptides. Induc tion of HSP70 messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis also inhibits transcripti on of genes coding for pro-inflammatory cytokines, We analysed whether HSP70 mRNA was expressed in a cultured human cervical cell line (HeLa cells) following exposure to human semen, or in cells obtained from t he endocervices of sexually active women, HeLa cells were co-cultured with a 1:50 dilution of semen from four men, with purified spermatozoa , or with cell-free seminal fluid, Endocervical swabs were obtained at mid-cycle from 53 women, HSP70 mRNA was detected in HeLa cells by a r everse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and analysis o n agarose gels, HSP70 mRNA in cervical cells was measured by RT-PCR fo llowed by hybridization with an HSP70-specific internal probe and dete ction by ELISA, Cervical IgA antibodies to HSP70 were measured by ELIS A, HeLa cell-semen co-culture led in each case to induction of HSP70 m RNA, Cell-free seminal fluid and isolated motile spermatozoa also indu ced HSP70 mRNA when incubated individually with HeLa cells. Hsp70 mRNA was detected in 28 (52.8%) of 53 endocervical cell samples obtained f rom women at varying times after sexual intercourse, The percentage of samples expressing HSP70 mRNA was 37.5% at <10 h, 64.3% at 10 h, 70.0 % at 11 h and between 36 and 50% at later times after semen exposure. Cervical IgA antibodies to HSP70 were also detected in some women and their occurrence was highly correlated with HSP70 gene transcription ( P < 0.0001), The data demonstrate that exposure to semen induces HSP70 mRNA in endocervical cells.