Chlamydia pneumoniaeinfection suppressesStaphylococcusenterotoxin B-induced proliferation associated with down-expression of CD25 in lymphocytes

Chlamydia pneumoniae (Chlamydophila pneumoniae) infects lymphocytes and modulates their immune functions; this is critical in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases associated with this pathogen. Therefore, to clarify this immune modulation due to C. pneumoniae infection, the effect of this infection on the proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes was examined. Lymphocytes were proliferated by stimulation with Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B, and the cell number was increased up to 3 times the unstimulated lymphocyte number. Further, induction of CD25 expression was observed in 55.8% of lymphocytes. Infection with C. pneumoniae suppressed the proliferation of almost half the lymphocytes induced by stimulation with S. aureus enterotoxin B, and CD25 induction was inhibited in 64.7% of lymphocytes. Inhibition of CD25 expression was observed in both infected and uninfected lymphocytes in culture. However, the expression of VLA4 was not affected by C. pneumoniae infection. Furthermore, inhibition was observed only by infection with viable C. pneumoniae and not by the heat-killed bacteria. These results suggest that C. pneumoniae affects lymphocyte function by inhibiting proliferation and CD25 expression in response to immunological stimulation, possibly via humoral mediator(s).