Chlamydia pneumoniae Lungeninfektion in zwei Inzucht-Mausstämmen

Infections with Chlamydia pneumoniae have been linked to chronic inflammatory diseases, but the influences of several factors are not well understood. A multivariate experimental design investigated the main factors affecting disease, Chlamydia lung burden, and transcription levels: i) host genetics, ii) immunity prior to exposure, iii) time after infection, iv) protein content in the diet, v) antioxidant content in the diet. The combined effects of mouse strain, immune status, and time after vaccination led to opposing results in lung disease and the elimination of C. pneumoniae, while the content of dietary protein and antioxidants had only a minor overall impact. A simple best-fit partial least squares regression model using the Tim3, GATA3, and Arginase 2 transcript concentrations from day 3 predicted 85% of the disease on day 10 and 72% of the lung burden of C. pneumoniae on day 10. This book has elucidated general mechanisms of Chlamydia pathogenesis and clearly supports the concept that host-dependent levels of early Th1 and Th2 responses and their balance significantly correlate with late disease and the pathogen burden of C. pneumoniae lung infections.