Early local cytokine profiles in strains of mice with different outcomes from chlamydial genital tract infection

In this study, we expand on the examination of genetically determined diffe rences in host responses that correlate with clearance of Chlamydia trachom atis from the genital tract. We infected C57BL/6, BALB/c, and C3H/HeN mice with the mouse pneumonitis agent of C. trachomatis (MoPn), C57BL/6 mice had the shortest course of infection (22 days) and the lowest incidence of sev ere hydrosalpinx, BALB/c mice also had a short course of infection (25 days ), but ail developed hydrosalpinx. C3H/HeN mice had the longest course of i nfection (38 days), and all developed severe hydrosalpinx. Determination of local cytokine responses by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of g enital tract secretions revealed that the levels of the proinflammatory cyt okines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) were significantly increased in the C57BL/6 and BALB/c strains compa red to those in the C3H/HeN strain whereas the level of IL-6 was not differ ent. The level of the neutrophil chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP-2) was increased during the first week of infection in all three str ains but was significantly higher in the BALB/c strain, the strain with the most rapid influx of neutrophils into the genital tract. Prolonged detecti on of MIP-2 in C3H/HeN mice was associated with a protracted presence of ne utrophils in the genital tract. Early increases in the levels of the proinf lammatory cytokines TNF-alpha. and IL-1 beta are associated with earlier er adication of infection in the C57BL/6 and BALB/c strains than in the C3H/He N strain. Increased levels of MIP-2 and neutrophils in BALB/c and C3H/HeN m ice relative to C57BL/6 mice suggest that these responses may contribute to pathology.