Resolution of secondary Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection in immune mice with depletion of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells

The essential role of T cells in the resolution of primary murine Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection is inarguable; however, much less is k nown about the mechanisms that confer resistance to reinfection. We previou sly established that CD4(+) T cells and B cells contribute importantly to r esistance to reinfection. In our current studies, we demonstrate that immun e mice concurrently depleted of both CD4(+) T cells and CD8(+) T cells resi sted reinfection as well as immunocompetent wild-type mice. The in vivo dep letion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells resulted in diminished chlamydia-specif ic delayed-type hypersensitivity responses, but antichlamydial antibody res ponses were unaffected. Our data indicate that immunity to chlamydial genit al tract reinfection does not rely solely upon immune CD4(+) or CD8(+) T ce lls and further substantiate a predominant role for additional effector imm une responses, such as B cells, in resistance to chlamydial genital tract r einfection.