Polymorphonuclear neutrophils improve replication of Chlamydia pneumoniae in vivo upon MyD88-dependent attraction.

Chlamydia pneumoniae, an obligate intracellular bacterium, causes pneumonia in humans and mice. In this study, we show that GR1+/CD45+ polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) surprisingly increase the bacterial load of C. pneumoniae in vivo. Upon intranasal infection of wild-type mice, the lung weight is increased; the cytokines TNF, IL-12p40, and IFN-gamma, as well as the chemokines keratinocyte-derived chemokine, MCP-1, and MIP-2 are secreted; and GR1+/CD45+ PMN are recruited into lungs 3 days postinfection. In contrast, in infected MyD88-deficient mice, which lack a key adaptor molecule in the signaling cascade of TLRs and IL-1R family members, the increase of the lung weight is attenuated, and from the analyzed cyto- and chemokines, only IL-12p40 is detectable. Upon infection, almost no influx of inflammatory cells into lungs of MyD88-deficient mice can be observed. Six days postinfection, however, MyD88-deficient mice were able to produce TNF, IFN-gamma, keratinocyte-derived chemokine, and MCP-1 in amounts similar to wild-type mice, but failed to secrete IL-12p40 and MIP-2. At this time point, the infection increased the lung weight to a level similar to wild-type mice. Curiously, the chlamydial burden in MyD88-deficient mice 3 days postinfection is lower than in wild-type mice, a finding that can be reproduced in wild-type mice by depletion of GR1+ cells. In analyzing how PMN influence the chlamydial burden in vivo, we find that PMN are infected and enhance the replication of C. pneumoniae in epithelial cells. Thus, the lower chlamydial burden in MyD88-deficient mice can be explained by the failure to recruit PMN.