IgG exacerbates genital chlamydial pathology in females by enhancing pathogenic CD8⁺ T cell responses

Abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis infections are an important sexually transmitted infection that can lead to inflammation, scarring and hydrosalpinx/infertility. However, infections are commonly clinically asymptomatic and do not receive treatment. The underlying cause of asymptomatic immunopathology remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that IgG produced during male infection enhanced the incidence of immunopathology and infertility in females. Human endocervical cells expressing the neonatal Fc Receptor (FcRn) increased translocation of human IgG‐opsonized C. trachomatis. Using total IgG purified from infected male mice, we opsonized C. muridarum and then infected female mice, mimicking sexual transmission. Following infection, IgG‐opsonized Chlamydia was found to transcytose the epithelial barrier in the uterus, where it was phagocytosed by antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) and trafficked to the draining lymph nodes. APCs then expanded both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations and caused significantly more infertility in female mice infected with non‐opsonized Chlamydia. Enhanced phagocytosis of IgG‐opsonized Chlamydia significantly increased pro‐inflammatory signalling and T cell proliferation. As IgG is transcytosed by FcRn, we utilized FcRn−/− mice and observed that shedding kinetics of Chlamydia were only affected in FcRn−/− mice infected with IgG‐opsonized Chlamydia. Depletion of CD8+ T cells in FcRn−/− mice lead to a significant reduction in the incidence of infertility. Taken together, these data demonstrate that IgG seroconversion during male infection can amplify female immunopathology, dependent on FcRn transcytosis, APC differentiation and enhanced CD8 T cell responses.