IL-10 Producing B Cells Dampen Protective T Cell Response and Allow Chlamydia muridarum Infection of the Male Genital Tract

SANCHEZ, LEONARDO R.; GODOY, GLORIA J.; GOROSITO SERRÁN, MELISA; BRESER, MARIA L.; FIOCCA VERNENGO, FACUNDO; ENGEL, PABLO; MOTRICH, RUBEN D.; GRUPPI, ADRIANA; RIVERO, VIRGINIA E.

Frontiers in Immunology

Frontiers Media S.A.

Lugar: Lausanne; Año: 2019 vol. 10

significant proportion of individuals develop chronic, persistent and recurrent genital tract infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, which has been attributed to the numerous strategies that the bacterium uses to subvert host immune responses. Animal chlamydia models have demonstrated that protective immune response is mediated by CD4+ Th1 cytokine responses. Herein, we demonstrate that early after infecting the male genital tract, C. muridarum triggers the production of IL-10 by splenic and lymph node cells. In addition, C. muridarum triggers IL-6 and TNFα secretion. Data obtained from in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed B cells as the major IL-10 contributors. Indeed, purified B cells produced high amounts of IL-10 and also exhibited enhanced expression of inhibitory molecules such as CD39, PD-L1 and PD1 after C. muridarum stimulation. In vitro experiments performed with sorted cell subsets revealed that Marginal Zone B cells were the main IL-10 producers. In vitro and i