ANALYSIS OF LYMPHOCYTE PHENOTYPE AND CYTOKINE ACTIVITY IN THE INFLAMMATORY INFILTRATES OF THE UPPER GENITAL-TRACT OF FEMALE MACAQUES INFECTED WITH CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS

Chlamydia trachomatis infects the upper genital tract of millions of w omen, causing infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease, yet the inf lammatory response to C. trachomatis infection is poorly understood. T he cytokine response and the phenotype of infiltrating lymphocytes dur ing C. trachomatis infection of fimbria and ampulla autografts in subc utaneous pockets in Macaca nemestrina were characterized. About two-th irds of the infiltrating lymphocytes were CD8 T cells, with the remain der being CD4 T cells and B cells. Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-10, in terferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and perforin mRNA were produced by the inf iltrating cells, but IL-4 mRNA was absent. The presence of CDS T cells and perforin mRNA suggest that activated cytolytic T cells are presen t. The presence of IL-2 and IFN-gamma mRNA and the absence of IL-4 mRN A suggest that Th1-type cytokines predominate during the acute phase o f C. trachomatis infection of the upper genital tract.