The effect of doxycycline treatment an the development of protective immunity in a murine model of chlamydial genital infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is a major cause of sexually transmitted disease (STD ) worldwide. Antibiotics are effective in treating infection; however, rein fection is common, This observation has led to the conclusion that infectio n fails to elicit a protective antichlamydial immune response. It was postu lated that high reinfection rates might be due to early eradication of orga nisms from genital tissue after antibiotic intervention, which could negati vely influence the development of naturally acquired protective immunity. T his hypothesis was tested by use of a murine model of female genital infect ion. The findings show that doxycycline intervention of infection, although very effective in eradicating chlamydiae from genital tissue and preventin g upper genital tract disease, significantly inhibits the development of pr otective immunity. If antibiotic intervention of human chlamydial genital i nfection has a similar effect on protective immunity, it could have importa nt implications in the understanding of immunity to infection and future pu blic health efforts to control chlamydial STD.