2024-08-23 13:31:47
Getting sick from sex is a taboo for many people. However, sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise, especially chlamydia. Researchers are looking for hiding places of bacteria in the body – and they have found them in an unexpected place.
Chlamydia causes the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to the Federal Agency for Health Education (BZgA), young people are particularly affected. A study now supports the hypothesis that bacterial pathogens can survive in the body by using the mucous membrane of the gut as a niche.
As a result, repeated infections can occur Chlamydia trachomatis in other organs including the subcutaneous tissue, explains the research team by Thomas Rudel from the University of Würzburg in the special journal “PLoS Pathogens“.
Until now, most of the knowledge about the hypothesis comes from mouse studies, but these can be transferred to humans only to a limited extent, according to the work. It is therefore not certain whether the human intestinal system can be a site for so-called persistent chlamydial infections and thus a reservoir for repeated infections in the genital area.
Persistence is a state in which bacteria are still viable but not dividing. Many bacteria enter a state of rest under unfavorable environmental conditions, and return to normal growth.
Due to the low multiplication of bacteria, there are few or no symptoms in the persistent phase, and persistent infections are difficult to successfully treat with antibiotics.
As a basis, the researchers used sets of organoids – small three-dimensional structures – made from cells from the human stomach. Epithelial cells from the stomach, small intestine and colon were grown into a single-cell layer on culture medium and infected with Chlamydia trachomatis.
So chlamydia can enter cells through certain routes and develop either normal or persistent growth forms. In healthy, intact epithelium appears to be resistant to C. trachomatis infections, the researchers also concluded.
It is possible that the epithelial barrier is weak for infection – for example due to inflammation, growth or microinjuries to the mucous membrane.
The group points out that the model used lacks important features such as natural colonization with microbes and a functioning immune system.
Chlamydia trachomatis is a human-specific pathogen that is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the world. Infections usually do not cause any symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination or sometimes pain during sex. According to BZgA, symptoms may improve on their own or even disappear completely.
However, a chlamydia infection can still remain in the body and continue to spread, according to BZgA. If left untreated, it can cause inflammation of the sexual organs, which can lead to infertility in both women and men. If the infection is detected early, it can be cured quickly and completely with antibiotics.
dpa/gra
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