Serum levels of soluble HLA and IL-2R molecules in patients with urogenital chlamydia infection.

Cellular immunity plays a central role in immune response to chlamydial infection, and soluble forms of immune cell membrane antigens take part in the regulation of immune response. Using an immunoenzymatic method, we determined serum levels of soluble HLA molecules (sHLA-I and sHLA-DR) and soluble CD25 molecules (sCD25) in patients with genital chlamydial infection. Specimens from patients with nonspecific inflammation of the urogenital tract were studied and healthy volunteers served as controls. We revealed that serum levels of sHLA-DR and sCD25 increased 3.5- and 2.3-fold, respectively, during chlamydial infection, while the levels of sHLA-I were not changed. Nonspecific inflammation of the urogenital tract was characterized by a 1.5-fold increase in sHLA-I, a 1.6-fold decrease in sCD25, and no changes of sHLA-DR levels in comparison with healthy volunteers. We concluded that Th1 immune responses might dominate during genital chlamydial infection contrary to the state of nonspecific inflammation of urogenital tract.