HUMORAL IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO CONSERVED EPITOPES OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS AND HUMAN 60-KDA HEAT-SHOCK-PROTEIN IN WOMEN WITH PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

The association between humoral immunity to unique and conserved epito pes of the Chlamydia trachomatis 60-kDa heat-shock protein (hsp60) and immunity to human hsp60 was examined in 129 women with laparoscopical ly verified pelvic inflammatory disease, An ELISA was used to detect a ntichlamydial IgG and IgA antibodies, IgG antibodies to recombinant hu man hsp60, and antibodies to two synthetic peptides of chlamydial hsp6 0. Half of the patients had antibodies to human hsp60, which correlate d with the presence of antibodies to the chlamydial hsp60 peptide 260- 271 homologous to the human hsp60 (P = .01), Antibodies to peptide 260 -271 were associated with antichlamydial Ige (P < .0001) and IgA (P < .0001). The results suggest that the autoimmune response to human hsp6 0 can develop following C. trachomatis upper genital tract infection i n women, probably as a consequence of an immune response to an epitope of chlamydial hsp60 crossreactive with the human hsp60.