CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO THE RECOMBINANT 57-KDA HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS IN WOMEN WITH SALPINGITIS

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 9 of 18 women with lapa roscopy-verified salpingitis proliferated in response to recombinant C hlamydia trachomatis 57-kDa heat shock protein (hsp). In contrast, PBM C from 0 of 10 women with cervicitis, 1 of 5 women with recurrent abor tions, and 3 (7.1%) of 42 healthy reproductive-age women were responsi ve to hsp (P < .001). After passage of the hsp through an endotoxin-re moving column, PBMC from 6 of 14 additional women with salpingitis wer e responsive to hsp, while those from 10 controls, including the 3 pre viously positive women, were negative. PBMC from all patients responsi ve to the chlamydial hsp were unresponsive to Mycobacterium bovis 65-k Da hsp. PBMC from 6 of the 15 women with a positive hsp-induced lympho cyte response were unresponsive to C trachomatis elementary bodies. In duction of a cell-mediated immune response to the chlamydial 57-kDa hs p is a common feature of an upper genital tract infection but does not appear to be limited to women with apparent chlamydial infections.