Cervical Cytokines Associated With Chlamydia trachomatis Susceptibility and Protection.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis can cause reproductive morbidities after ascending to the upper genital tract of women, and repeated infection can lead to worse disease. Data related to protective immune responses at the cervical mucosa that could limit chlamydial infection to the cervix and/or prevent reinfection inform vaccine approaches and biomarkers of risk.

Methods: We measured 48 cytokines in cervical secretions from women having chlamydial cervical infection alone (n = 92) or both cervical and endometrial infection (n = 68).

Comprehensive Molecular Serology of Human Infections by Peptide Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays.

Sensitive species-specific detection of anti- antibodies is compromised by cross-reactivity of the antigens used in standard microimmunofluorescence (MIF) testing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Previously, we discovered 48 strongly reactive -specific B cell epitope peptides from 21 immunodominant proteins. Here we comprehensively evaluated the 11 top-ranked -specific peptide antigens from 8 proteins for use in serology.

Variation in reward quality and pollinator attraction: the consumer does not always get it right.

Nearly all bees rely on pollen as the sole protein source for the development of their larvae. The central importance of pollen for the bee life cycle should exert strong selection on their ability to locate the most rewarding sources of pollen. Despite this importance, very few studies have examined the influence of intraspecific variation in pollen rewards on the foraging decisions of bees.