Spermatozoa are not produced until puberty, long after the establishment of tolerance to self-antigens. Therefore, sperm-specific antigens are immunogenic in men. Most men, however, do not produce antibodies to their own gametes. Development of mechanisms to prevent or limit autoimmune responses to spermatozoa were essential for preservation of reproductive capacity. Tight junctions between adj...

The ability of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to adoptively immunize mice against Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the mouse genital tract was studied. Adoptive transfer experiments were performed with splenic CD4+ or CD8+ T cells obtained from mice following resolution of a primary genital tract infection and after a secondary chlamydial challenge. The results show that donor CD4+ T cells, but not CD...

We characterized the evolution of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in the male genital tract by examining blood- and semen-associated virus from experimentally and sham vaccinated rhesus monkeys during primary infection. At the time of peak virus replication, SIV sequences were intermixed between the blood and semen supporting a scenario of high-level virus "spillover" into the male genital ...

Epidemiologic studies indicate that bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common alteration of lower genital tract flora in women, is associated with increased susceptibility to HIV infection. Other recent studies show that HIV is detected more frequently and at higher levels in the lower genital tract of HIV-seropositive women with BV. In vitro studies show that genital tract secretions from women with ...

Chlamydia trachomatis control efforts that enhance detection and treatment of infected women may paradoxically increase susceptibility of the population to infection. Conversely, these surveillance programs lower incidences of adverse sequelae elicited by genital tract infection (e.g., pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy), suggesting enhanced identification and eradication of C. t...

Background: In the past decade, childlessness has become a most important problem in the world. At the same time evidence confirms a link between sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and infertility problem. Some of viral STDs are: HIV, HPV, HSVand so on. The innate immune system is essential for the initial detection of invading viruses and subsequent activation of adaptive immunity. also, The...

This article reviews animal models currently used for investigation of ascending genital-tract infection in pregnancy. The specific models reviewed are those in the rabbit, monkey, and mouse. These models investigate both the direct effects of bacteria in the setting of ascending infection and the role of cytokines produced by the immune system. For each model, experiments that delineate the pa...

ureaplasma urealyticum can colonize women genital tract and be isolated from the amniotic fluid of women with adverse pregnancy outcomes. the association of u. urealyticum with spontaneous abortion remains controversial. the aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of u. urealyticum infection among pregnant women and its association with spontaneous abortion.in this case-control study we...

The aim of the present study was to reveal the characteristic features of genital Chlamydia suis infection and re-infection in female pigs by studying the immune response, pathological changes, replication of chlamydial bacteria in the genital tract and excretion of viable bacteria. Pigs were intravaginally infected and re-infected with C. suis strain S45, the type strain of this species. We de...

Chlamydia trachomatis is a major cause of sexually transmitted disease (STD) worldwide. Antibiotics are effective in treating infection; however, reinfection is common. This observation has led to the conclusion that infection fails to elicit a protective antichlamydial immune response. It was postulated that high reinfection rates might be due to early eradication of organisms from genital tis...