Animal models for the study of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the female genital infection.

Despite intensive research on chlamydial pathogenesis and host immune responses, vaccine development has been hampered by incomplete understanding of the virulence factors and the critical factors governing protective immunity. It is unknown why certain Chlamydia trachomatis serovars cause asymptomatic or symptomatic infection or ascend to the upper genital tract. Former studies have used nonprimate monkey, mice or guinea-pig infection models. However, pigs are genetically and physiologically related to man and are susceptible to chlamydial infections. The main objective of the present study was the validation of the pig as an alternative animal model for C. trachomatis female genital tract infection.