LOCAL IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE IN THE VAGINA, CERVIX AND ENDOMETRIUM

1975 ◽  
Vol 80 (2_Suppl) ◽  
pp. S281-S305 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-P. Vaerman ◽  
J. Férin
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Specific Binding ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Secretory Component ◽  
Secretory Iga ◽  
Local Synthesis ◽  
Female Genital

ABSTRACT The mechanism of the local excretion of secretory IgA (SIgA) in exocrine secretions has been reviewed. Numerous local IgA-plasma cells, in the lamina propria of the glandular mucosa, synthesize dimeric IgA with J-chain. Free secretory component (FSC) is synthesized and accumulated in the Golgi area of the columnar epithelial cells. It is then supposed to get onto their cell membranes. Dimeric IgA (and some IgM) reaches the spaces between and under the epithelial cells. There, a specific binding occurs between dimeric IgA (and some IgM) and the FSC located in the cell-membrane, whereby SIgA is formed. The complex becomes mobilized and is transported toward the apical part of the cell, where it will be excreted into the mucous coat covering the epithelium. In the female genital tract, the cervical mucosa appears to be better adapted to achieve a local secretory immune system. The endometrium seems less suitable, being normally short of local plasma cells. The vaginal wall appears almost incompatible with the proposed mechanism of local antibody secretion. Criteria for establishing a local immune response in the female genital tract comprise: 1) a lack of correlation between antibody titers in secretions and serum; 2) the demonstration that the secretory antibodies are mainly of IgA class and 3) that they are SIgA molecules, possessing bound secretory component. However, the best criterion would be 4) the observation that antibody is actually synthesized in samples of mucosa, by in vitro culture or immunohistology. Reviewing the literature, relatively few examples were found where SIgA antibodies were demonstrated, and unambiguous evidence for their local synthesis is almost non-existent. In addition, the authors were unable to detect antibody-containing cells in cervical and endometrial biopsies of women locally "immunized" with horse spleen ferritin and bovine serum albumin. The need for further investigation with simple antigens and adequate immunological reagents is stressed.

Development of an in vitro dual-chamber model of the female genital tract as a screening tool for epithelial toxicity

2010 ◽  
Vol 165 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youssef Gali ◽  
Kevin K. Ariën ◽  
Marleen Praet ◽  
Rafael Van den Bergh ◽  
Marleen Temmerman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genital Tract ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Dual Chamber ◽  
Chamber Model ◽  
Female Genital

scholarly journals Immunohistochemical localization of P-glycoprotein in adult human ovary and female genital tract of patients with benign gynecological conditions.

1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1677-1681 ◽  
Author(s):  
C L Finstad ◽  
P E Saigo ◽  
S C Rubin ◽  
M G Federici ◽  
D M Provencher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Ovarian Surface Epithelium ◽  
Cytotoxic Agents ◽  
Surface Epithelium ◽  
Positive Staining ◽  
Multidrug Resistance Gene ◽  
P Glycoprotein ◽  
Female Genital

The multidrug-resistance gene, MDR1, encodes a plasma membrane glycoprotein termed P-glycoprotein, which mediates active cellular efflux of certain cytotoxic agents. Two mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAb), C219 and JSB-1, were used to identify P-glycoprotein in frozen tissue from the female genital tract of 14 women with benign gynecological conditions; multiple samples from several sites in the genital tract were available from seven patients. P-glycoprotein was detected in the ovarian surface epithelium in four of 14 cases, in the Fallopian tube in three of five cases, in occasional epithelial cells of the endometrial glands in two of five cases, in some endocervical glandular epithelium in three of five cases, in ectocervical squamous epithelium in one of the two cases, and in luteinized cells of the eight cases in which a corpus luteum was present in the specimen. Positive staining with these two MAb was also observed in some endothelial cells in the cortex of the ovary and in the stromal tissue of the myometrium, endometrium, and endocervix. These studies suggest that, if epithelial ovarian cancers are derived from the surface epithelial cells of the ovary, a small proportion of the cancers might be expected to retain the phenotype found in non-cancerous cells and to express P-glycoprotein.

scholarly journals Xanthogranulomatous Endometritis: A Challenging Imitator of Endometrial Carcinoma

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Işın Doğan-Ekici ◽  
Alp Usubütün ◽  
Türkan Küçükali ◽  
Ali Ayhan
Keyword(s):  
Endometrial Carcinoma ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Histopathological Examination ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Giant Cells ◽  
Polymorphonuclear Leucocytes ◽  
Xanthogranulomatous Inflammation ◽  
Post Menopausal ◽  
Female Genital

Xanthogranulomatous inflammation is a distinguished histopathological entity affecting several organs, predominantly the kidney and gallbladder. So far, only a small number of cases of xanthogranulomatous inflammation occurring in female genital tract have been described, most frequently affecting the endometrium and histologically characterized by replacement of endometrium by xanthogranulomatous inflammation composed of abundant foamy histiocytes, siderophages, giant cells, fibrosis, calcification and accompanying polymorphonuclear leucocytes, plasma cells and lymphocytes of polyclonal origin. We present a case of a 69-year-old female complained of post menopausal bleeding and weight loss. Clinical preliminary diagnoses were endometrial carcinoma or hyperplasia and ultrasound was supposed to be endometrial malignancy, hyperplasia or pyometra by radiologist. Histopathological examination of uterus revealed xanthogranulomatous endometritis. Since xanthogranulomatous endometritis may mimic endometrial malignancy clinically and pathologically as a result of the replacement of the endometrium and occasionally invasion of the myometrium by friable yellowish tissue composed of histiocytes, knowledge of this unusual inflammatory disease is needed for both clinicians and pathologists.

Development of an in vitro organ culture model to study transmission of HIV-1 in the female genital tract

10.1038/74743 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly B. Collins ◽  
Bruce K. Patterson ◽  
Gregory J. Naus ◽  
Daniel V. Landers ◽  
Phalguni Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Organ Culture ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Culture Model ◽  
In Vitro Organ Culture ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Female Genital

scholarly journals Comparison of Female Genital Tract Cytokine and Microbiota Signatures Induced by Initiation of Intramuscular DMPA and NET-EN Hormonal Contraceptives - a Prospective Cohort Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smritee Dabee ◽  
Ramla F. Tanko ◽  
Bryan P. Brown ◽  
Rubina Bunjun ◽  
Christina Balle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Vaginal Microbiota ◽  
African Women ◽  
Hormonal Contraceptives ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Female Genital

BackgroundCervicovaginal inflammation, bacterial microbiota and hormonal contraceptives all influence sexual and reproductive health. To date, the effects of intramuscular depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA-IM) versus injectable norethisterone enanthate (NET-EN) on vaginal microbiota or cytokines have not been compared back-to-back, although in-vitro data suggest that DMPA-IM and NET-EN have different pharmacokinetic and biologic activities. This study aimed at comparing the effects of DMPA-IM versus NET-EN initiation on cervicovaginal cytokines and microbiota in women at high risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) assigned to the respective contraceptives.MethodsWe collected socio-demographic characteristics and vaginal samples from women initiating DMPA-IM (ECHO Trial; n = 53) and NET-EN (UChoose Trial; n = 44) at baseline and after two consecutive injections to assess cytokine concentrations by Luminex, vaginal microbiota by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, STIs, bacterial vaginosis (BV) and candidiasis.ResultsCytokine concentrations did not change significantly after initiating DMPA-IM or NET-EN, although NET-EN versus DMPA-IM-associated profiles were distinct. While the abundance of bacterial taxa associated with optimal and non-optimal microbiota fluctuated with DMPA-IM use, overall community composition did not significantly change with either contraceptive. HSV-2 serology, chlamydial infection, gonorrhoea and candidiasis did not influence the associations between contraceptive type and cervicovaginal cytokines or microbiota.ConclusionsBoth DMPA-IM and NET-EN use did not lead to broad inflammatory or microbiota changes in the female genital tract of sub-Saharan African women. This suggests that NET-EN is likely a viable option for contraception in African women at high risk of BV and STIs.

scholarly journals Mechanisms of Endogenous HIV-1 Reactivation by Endocervical Epithelial Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Germán G. Gornalusse ◽  
Rogelio Valdez ◽  
Gabriella Fenkart ◽  
Lucia Vojtech ◽  
Lamar M. Fleming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex Virus 2 ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Female Genital

ABSTRACT Pharmacological HIV-1 reactivation to reverse latent infection has been extensively studied. However, HIV-1 reactivation also occurs naturally, as evidenced by occasional low-level viremia (“viral blips”) during antiretroviral treatment (ART). Clarifying where blips originate from and how they happen could provide clues to stimulate latency reversal more effectively and safely or to prevent viral rebound following ART cessation. We studied HIV-1 reactivation in the female genital tract, a dynamic anatomical target for HIV-1 infection throughout all disease stages. We found that primary endocervical epithelial cells from several women reactivated HIV-1 from latently infected T cells. The endocervical cells’ HIV-1 reactivation capacity further increased upon Toll-like receptor 3 stimulation with poly(I·C) double-stranded RNA or infection with herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2). Notably, acyclovir did not eliminate HSV-2-induced HIV-1 reactivation. While endocervical epithelial cells secreted large amounts of several cytokines and chemokines, especially tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), CCL3, CCL4, and CCL20, their HIV-1 reactivation capacity was almost completely blocked by TNF-α neutralization alone. Thus, immunosurveillance activities by columnar epithelial cells in the endocervix can cause endogenous HIV-1 reactivation, which may contribute to viral blips during ART or rebound following ART interruption. IMPORTANCE A reason that there is no universal cure for HIV-1 is that the virus can hide in the genome of infected cells in the form of latent proviral DNA. This hidden provirus is protected from antiviral drugs until it eventually reactivates to produce new virions. It is not well understood where in the body or how this reactivation occurs. We studied HIV-1 reactivation in the female genital tract, which is often the portal of HIV-1 entry and which remains a site of infection throughout the disease. We found that the columnar epithelial cells lining the endocervix, the lower part of the uterus, are particularly effective in reactivating HIV-1 from infected T cells. This activity was enhanced by certain microbial stimuli, including herpes simplex virus 2, and blocked by antibodies against the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α. Avoiding HIV-1 reactivation could be important for maintaining a functional HIV-1 cure when antiviral therapy is stopped.

scholarly journals Immune Pathogenesis of Asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis Infections in the Female Genital Tract

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven S. Witkin
Keyword(s):  
Chlamydia Trachomatis ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Fallopian Tubes ◽  
Female Genital

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections of the female genital tract, although frequently asymptomatic, are a major cause of fallopian-tube occlusion and infertility. Early stage pregnancy loss may also be due to an unsuspected and undetected CT infection. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that this organism can persist in the female genital tract in a form undetectable by culture. The mechanism of tubal damage as well as the rejection of an embryo may involve an initial immune sensitization to the CT 60 kD heat shock protein (HSP), followed by a reactivation of HSP-sensitized lymphocytes in response to the human HSP and the subsequent release of inflammatory cytokines. The periodic induction of human HSP expression by various microorganisms or by noninfectious mechanisms in the fallopian tubes of women sensitized to the CT HSP may eventually result in tubal scarring and occlusion. Similarly, an immune response to human HSP expression during the early stages of pregnancy may interfere with the immune regulatory mechanisms required for the maintenance of a semiallogeneic embryo.

scholarly journals Sperm migration in the genital tract - in silico experiments identify key factors for reproductive success

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorin Diemer ◽  
Jens Hahn ◽  
Björn Goldenbogen ◽  
Karin Müller ◽  
Edda Klipp
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Tract ◽  
Male Gametes ◽  
Sperm Migration ◽  
Sperm Motion ◽  
Female Genital

Sperm migration in the female genital tract controls sperm selection and, therefore, reproductive success as male gametes are conditioned for fertilization while their number is dramatically reduced. Mechanisms underlying sperm migration are mostly unknown, since in vivo investigations are mostly unfeasible for ethical or practical reasons. By presenting a spatio-temporal model of the mammalian female genital tract combined with agent-based description of sperm motion and interaction as well as parameterizing it with bovine data, we offer an alternative possibility for studying sperm migration in silico. The model incorporates genital tract geometry as well as biophysical principles of sperm motion observed in vitro such as positive rheotaxis and thigmotaxis. This model for sperm migration from vagina to oviducts was successfully tested against in vivo data from literature. We found that physical sperm characteristics such as velocity and directional stability as well as sperm-fluid interactions and wall alignment are critical for success, i.e. sperms reaching the oviducts. Therefore, we propose that these identified sperm parameters should be considered in detail for conditioning sperm in artificial selection procedures since the natural processes are normally bypassed in reproductive in vitro technologies. The tremendous impact of mucus flow to support sperm accumulation in the oviduct highlights the importance of a species-specific optimum time window for artificial insemination regarding ovulation. Predictions from our extendable in silico experimental system will improve assisted reproduction in humans, endangered species, and livestock.

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