Vaginal leukocyte characteristics in urogenital trichomoniasis

Abstract

leukocyte characteristics in urogenital trichomoniasis. APMIS 100: 393-400, 1992. Morphological and functional characteristics of vaginal exudate leukocytes were examined in 47 patients with urogenital trichomoniasis. Electron microscopic morphology, viability, phagocytosis of Candida albicans blastospores and ability to undergo respiratory burst in the iodonitrotetrazolium reductase test were evaluated in these cells. Vaginal inflammatory leukocytes were almost exclusively polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and their concentration was positively correlated (r = 0.58; p < 0.001) with the number of trichomonads in the exudate. Median leukocyte viability reached 39% and both phagocytic and tetrazolium reductase activities of these cells were significantly reduced in comparison with those of circulating polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Patients with a clinical picture of severe mucosal inflammation had significantly higher vaginal exudate leukocyte concentrations and viability than those without inflammatory signs. The possible role of vaginal leukocytes in the pathogenesis of urogenital trichomoniasis is discussed.

Involvement of mast cells in inflammation induced by Trichomonas vaginalis via crosstalk with vaginal epithelial cells

“…Infection typically elicits aggressive local cellular immune responses with inflammation of the vaginal epithelium and exocervix in women and urethra in men (4). In fact, many neutrophils have been observed in the vaginal discharge of women with trichomoniasis (5). In addition, an increased frequency of mast cells is commonly found in the vaginal smears and vaginal walls of infected women (6,7).…”

Kinetics of Serum and Local Leukotriene B&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; Response in Experimental Intravaginal Trichomoniasis by &lt;i&gt;T. vaginalis&lt;/i&gt; Isolates from Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Women

“…Furthermore, with severe inflammation, deeper layers of the epithelium showed neutrophils [37]. Abundant PMN in vaginal smears with T. vaginalis in fected women were observed in another clinical study [38]. On the other hand, Helmy et al [21] showed no difference among rats inoculated with T. vaginalis isolates from symptomatic and asymptomatic women regarding histopathological and immunhistochemical changes.…”

The interaction of Trichomonas vaginalis with epithelial cells, polymorphonuclear leucocytes and erythrocytes on vaginal smears: light microscopic observation

“…In ultra‐thin sections, entrapped diplococci and rod‐shaped bacteria within a phagosome have been shown in the cytoplasm of trichomonads and these entrapped organisms were not destroyed but survived within the trichomonads 6 . Studies concerning the interaction of T. vaginalis with PMNLs have shown that the parasite can secrete proteins that are chemotactic to PMNLs 10–12 . Haemolysis is an important activity of T. vaginalis and this feature has been shown by some investigators 10–14 .…”