Rapid, Amplification-free, RNA-based Uropathogen Detection With LbuCas13a.

Background: Expeditious identification of bacterial infection remains an important challenge in an emergency department. Bacterial cultures remain the gold standard, though they take 24-72 hours to result. Polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostics are emerging but take several hours to get a result.

Immunization Against Polymorphic Membrane Protein D Tetrapeptide Motifs Limits Early Female Reproductive Tract Infection in a Mouse Model.

: (Ct) is a common pathogen causing urogenital, anal, oral, and ocular infections. Although extensive vaccine efforts have been underway for decades, there is no licensed vaccine available to prevent human Ct infection. Polymorphic membrane protein D (PmpD) is a highly conserved protein present on the surface of Ct elementary bodies, suggesting an important role Ct biology.

Chlamydia trachomatis-specific interferon-γ-producing CD8 T-cells are associated with lower chlamydia bacterial load in reinfected women.

This study aimed to better understand the importance of CD8 T cell responses in protective immunity to chlamydia. In women evaluated for reinfection at a 3-month follow-up visit after treatment for chlamydia, the presence or magnitude of Chlamydia trachomatis-specific CD8 interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) responses to Momp and Pgp3 peptide pools was not associated with reinfection status, despite having an increased frequency of responses compared to C. trachomatis CD4-specific T cells.

Neutralizing Antibody Responses to Chlamydia trachomatis in Women and Associations With Chlamydia Outcomes.

We assessed neutralizing antibody responses in a well-characterized cohort of 60 women with different Chlamydia trachomatis infection outcomes noted at a treatment visit and 3-month follow-up. We found varying rates of neutralization (inhibition of C trachomatis) in sera at different dilution levels and varying neutralizing antibody titers across outcomes. Median neutralization rates were significantly higher in sera at high dilutions (1:320-1:1280) from women with spontaneous resolution vs persisting infection before treatment (all P < .

Role of microRNAs in immune regulation and pathogenesis of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia muridarum infections: a rapid review.

MicroRNAs in Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Chlamydia muridarum (CM) infections are an emerging topic of research that provide knowledge that could advance vaccine development and strategies for managing infection. This rapid review summarizes human and murine studies on miRNA expression in CT and CM infections in vivo and ex vivo.

Interferon-γ Responses to Chlamydia trachomatis Vaccine Candidate Proteins in Women With Different Chlamydia Outcomes.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis testing and treatment strategies have not decreased infection rates, justifying need for a chlamydia vaccine. A murine study showed that a vaccine consisting of major outer membrane protein (MOMP) and polymorphic membrane proteins (Pmps) E, F, G, and H elicited protective immunity; studies on human cellular immune responses to Pmps are sparse.

Methods: Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) responses to these 5 proteins were measured by ELISPOT in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from women returning for treatment of a positive chlamydia test.

A continuing clinical education course to maintain clinical competencies and foster new clinical knowledge during the graduate school years of MD-PhD training.

Introduction: Most students in MD-PhD programs take a leave of absence from medical school to complete PhD training, which promotes a natural loss of clinical skills and knowledge and could negatively impact a student's long-term clinical knowledge. To address this concern, clinical refresher courses in the final year of PhD training have traditionally been used; however, effectiveness of such courses versus a longitudinal clinical course spanning all PhD training years is unclear.

Methods: The University of Alabama at Birmingham MD-PhD Program implemented a comprehensive continuing clinical education (CCE) course spanning PhD training years that features three course components: (1) clinical skills; (2) clinical knowledge; and (3) specialty exposure activities.

Antibody responses to vaccine candidate antigens in -infected women and correlation with antibody-mediated phagocytosis of elementary bodies.

Murine research has revealed a significant role for antibody responses in protection against reinfection. To explore potential humoral immune markers of protection elicited by (CT) antigens in humans in the context of presumed clinical correlates of protection, we used both an IgG1-based ELISA and a conventional total IgG ELISA to evaluate antibody responses. We evaluated responses to five CT outer membrane proteins (PmpE, PmpF, PmpG, PmpH, and MOMP), along with other promising CT antigens (Pgp3 and HSP60), negative control antigens (RecO and AtpE), and CT elementary bodies (EBs) in sera from a well-characterized cohort of 60 women with different CT infection outcomes, including two outcomes that are likely clinical correlates of protective immunity: spontaneous resolution of infection and absence of reinfection after treatment.

and Select Neighboring HLA Variants Predict Chlamydia Reinfection Risk.

Associations of HLA class II alleles with genital chlamydial infection outcomes have been reported, especially . However, the potential role of in influencing reinfection risk has still not been established. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the association of with chlamydia reinfection was impacted by any other nearby HLA class II variants that were also associated with reinfection.

Chlamydia trachomatis -Specific Antibody Responses in Women in Cameroon With Secondary Infertility.

The contribution of chlamydia to secondary infertility in women is poorly understood. Among 404 female participants enrolled in a previous study in Cameroon, 142 had secondary infertility (cases) and 262 were pregnant with no history of infertility (controls) , Chlamydia trachomatis seropositivity was 92%. Seropositivity did not significantly differ by case/control status.

Mycoplasma genitalium in the US (MyGeniUS): Surveillance Data From Sexual Health Clinics in 4 US Regions.

Background: Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) is on the CDC Watch List of Antimicrobial Resistance Threats, yet there is no systematic surveillance to monitor change.

Methods: We initiated surveillance in sexual health clinics in 6 cities, selecting a quota sample of urogenital specimens tested for gonorrhea and/or chlamydia. We abstracted patient data from medical records and detected MG and macrolide-resistance mutations (MRMs) by nucleic acid amplification testing.

Natural Clearance of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection Is Associated With Distinct Differences in Cervicovaginal Metabolites.

Background: Natural clearance of Chlamydia trachomatis in women occurs in the interval between screening and treatment. In vitro, interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-mediated tryptophan depletion results in C. trachomatis clearance, but whether this mechanism occurs in vivo remains unclear.

Update on the Epidemiology, Screening, and Management of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection ("chlamydia") is the most commonly diagnosed bacterial sexually transmitted infection globally, occurring in the genitals (urethra or vagina/cervix), rectum, or pharynx. If left untreated in women, genital chlamydia can ascend into the upper genital tract causing pelvic inflammatory disease, increasing their risk for ectopic pregnancy, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain. In men, chlamydia can cause epididymitis and proctitis.

Oil-based or saline contrast for sono-hysterosalpingography in infertile women: a pilot randomized controlled double blind trial.

Objective: To determine the feasibility, safety, and outcomes of an oil-based, iodinated contrast using office-based, ultrasound-imaged hysterosalpingography in women with infertility.

Design: Randomized Controlled Double Blind Clinical Trial.

Setting: Academic health center.

Latest Advances in Laboratory Detection of Mycoplasma genitalium.

Mycoplasma genitalium is an important sexually transmitted pathogen affecting both men and women. Its extremely slow growth and very demanding culture requirements necessitate the use of molecular-based diagnostic tests for its detection in clinical specimens. The recent availability of U.

Weighing Potential Benefits and Harms of Mycoplasma genitalium Testing and Treatment Approaches.

Since was identified 40 years ago, much of the epidemiology has been described, diagnostic tests have been developed and approved, and recommended treatment approaches have been identified. However, the natural history remains incompletely understood, and antimicrobial resistance has rapidly increased. This review summarizes evidence published since the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines.

Chlamydia trachomatis Infection and Seropositivity in Women Reporting Sexual Contact to a Chlamydia-Infected Partner.

Among 73 women presenting to a sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic in Birmingham, Alabama for reported sexual contact to a chlamydia-infected partner, Chlamydia trachomatis was detected in genital specimens in 24 (32.8%), less often in women reporting prior chlamydial infection ( P = 0.001).

A novel curricular framework to develop grant writing skills among MD-PhD students.

Background/objectives: Physician-scientists have long been in high demand owing to their role as key drivers of biomedical innovation, but their dwindling prevalence in research and medical communities threatens ongoing progress. As the principal avenue for physician-scientist development, combined MD-PhD training programs and NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Programs (MSTPs) must address all aspects of career development, including grant writing skills.

Methods: The NIH F-series grants - the F30 grant in particular - model the NIH format of federal funding, and are thus ideal opportunities to acquire biomedical research grant preparation experience.

Diagnosis and Management of Uncomplicated Chlamydia trachomatis Infections in Adolescents and Adults: Summary of Evidence Reviewed for the 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines.

To prepare for the development of the 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, the CDC convened a committee of expert consultants in June 2019 to discuss recent abstracts and published literature on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of sexually transmitted infections.This paper summarizes the key questions, evidence, and recommendations for the diagnosis and management of uncomplicated Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections in adolescents and adults that were reviewed and discussed for consideration in developing the guidelines. The evidence reviewed mostly focused on efficacy of doxycycline and azithromycin for urogenital, rectal, and oropharyngeal CT infection, CT risk factors in women, performance of CT nucleic acid amplification tests on self-collected meatal specimens in men, and performance of newer CT point-of-care tests.

Association between Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhea, Mycoplasma genitalium, and Trichomonas vaginalis and Secondary Infertility in Cameroon: A case-control study.

Objective: Data on the prevalence and etiology of infertility in Africa are limited. Secondary infertility is particularly common, defined as the inability of a woman to conceive for at least one year following a full-term pregnancy. We describe a prospective study conducted in Cameroon designed to test the hypothesis of an association between common treatable sexually transmitted infections (STI): Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and secondary infertility in women.

Immunogenicity and Protective Capacity of a Virus-like Particle Vaccine against Type 3 Secretion System Tip Protein, CT584.

An effective vaccine against is urgently needed as infection rates continue to rise and causes reproductive morbidity. An obligate intracellular pathogen, employs a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) for host cell entry. The tip of the injectosome is composed of the protein CT584, which represents a potential target for neutralization with vaccine-induced antibody.

Evaluation of Clinical, Gram Stain, and Microbiological Cure Outcomes in Men Receiving Azithromycin for Acute Nongonococcal Urethritis: Discordant Cures Are Associated With Mycoplasma genitalium Infection.

Background: In men with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), clinicians and patients rely on clinical cure to guide the need for additional testing/treatment and when to resume sex, respectively; however, discordant clinical and microbiological cure outcomes do occur. How accurately clinical cure reflects microbiological cure in specific sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is unclear.

Methods: Men with NGU were tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Trichomonas vaginalis, urethrotropic Neisseria meningitidis ST-11 clade strains, and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU).