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 Previous Article

Infection and Immunity, September 2009, p. 4168-4176, Vol. 77, No. 9
0019-9567/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00344-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

CT043, a Protective Antigen That Induces a CD4+ Th1 Response during Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in Mice and Humans{triangledown}

Eva Meoni,1,{ddagger} Elisa Faenzi,1,{ddagger} Elisabetta Frigimelica,1 Luisanna Zedda,1 David Skibinski,1 Serena Giovinazzi,1 Alessandra Bonci,1 Roberto Petracca,1 Erika Bartolini,1 Giuliano Galli,1 Mauro Agnusdei,1 Filomena Nardelli,1 Francesca Buricchi,1 Nathalie Norais,1 Ilaria Ferlenghi,1 Manuela Donati,2 Roberto Cevenini,2 Oretta Finco,1 Guido Grandi,1* and Renata Grifantini1,{dagger}

Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy,1 Microbiology Section, DESOS—University of Bologna, St. Orsola Hospital, via Massarenti 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy2

Received 25 March 2009/ Returned for modification 29 May 2009/ Accepted 7 July 2009

Despite several decades of intensive studies, no vaccines against Chlamydia trachomatis, an intracellular pathogen causing serious ocular and urogenital diseases, are available yet. Infection-induced immunity in both animal models and humans strongly supports the notion that for a vaccine to be effective a strong CD4+ Th1 immune response should be induced. In the course of our vaccine screening program based on the selection of chlamydial proteins eliciting cell-mediated immunity, we have found that CT043, a protein annotated as hypothetical, induces CD4+ Th1 cells both in chlamydia-infected mice and in human patients with diagnosed C. trachomatis genital infection. DNA priming/protein boost immunization with CT043 results in a 2.6-log inclusion-forming unit reduction in the murine lung infection model. Sequence analysis of CT043 from C. trachomatis human isolates belonging to the most representative genital serovars revealed a high degree of conservation, suggesting that this antigen could provide cross-serotype protection. Therefore, CT043 is a promising vaccine candidate against C. trachomatis infection.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Via Fiorentina, 1 53100 Siena, Italy. Phone: 39 0577 243506. Fax: 39 0577 278514. E-mail: guido.grandi{at}novartis.com

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 13 July 2009.

Editor: R. P. Morrison

{ddagger} Eva Meoni and Elisa Faenzi contributed equally to this study.

{dagger} Present address: Externautics S.p.A., Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.

Infection and Immunity, September 2009, p. 4168-4176, Vol. 77, No. 9
0019-9567/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00344-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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