Cytokine profiling of samples positive for Chlamydia trachomatis and Human papillomavirus

Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is closely associated with cervical carcinoma. Co-infection in the endocervical environment with other microorganisms, such as Chlamydia trachomatis, may increase the risk of HPV infection and neoplastic progression. While in some individuals, Chlamydia trachomatis infection is resolved with the activation of Th1/IFN-γ-mediated immune response, others develop a chronic infection marked by Th2-mediated immune response, resulting in intracellular persistence of the bacterium and increasing the risk of HPV infection. This work aimed to quantify cytokines of the Th1/Th2/Th17 profile in exfoliated cervix cells (ECC) and peripheral blood (PB) of patients positive for Chlamydia trachomatis DNA, patients positive for Papillomavirus DNA, and healthy patients. Cytokine levels were quantified by flow cytometry in ECC and PB samples from patients positive for C. trachomatis DNA (n = 18), patients positive for HPV DNA (n = 30), and healthy patients (n = 17) treated at the Hospital de Amor, Campo Grande-MS. After analysis, a higher concentration of IL-17, IL-6, and IL-4 (p <0.05) in ECC; INF-γ and IL-10 (p <0.05) in PB was found in samples from patients positive for C. trachomatis DNA compared to samples from healthy patients. When comparing samples from patients positive for HPV DNA, there was a higher concentration of cytokines IL-17, IL-10, IL-6, and IL-4 (p <0.05) in ECC and IL-4 and IL-2 (p <0.05) in PB of patients positive for C. trachomatis DNA. These results suggest that induction of Th2- and Th17 mediated immune response occurs in patients positive for C. trachomatis DNA, indicating chronic infection. Our results also demonstrate a high concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in ECC of patients positive for C. trachomatis DNA.