CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY TO CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE MEASURED AS LYMPHOCYTEBLAST-TRANSFORMATION INVITRO

The purpose of the present study was to analyze Chlamydia pneumoniae-i nduced, antigen-specific, cell-mediated immunity. Peripheral blood mon onuclear cells of four persons infected with C pneumoniae Kajaani 6 an d 17 healthy volunteers were stimulated with antigen composed of whole elementary bodies of C. pneumoniae Kajaani 6 (CP-Ag). Definitive anti gen-specific lymphoproliferation (LP) responses were developed after r ecent infection. The LP responses of healthy people to CP-Ag varied co nsiderably. There was no clear correlation between LP responses to CP- Ag and those to an antigen prepared from Chlamydia trachomatis serotyp e L2 (r greater-than-or-equal-to 0.50, P < 0.1). A larger study is req uired to demonstrate whether the LP responses to CP-Ag can be used for the diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection.