Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of brain cells: An in vitro study

Boelen, Ellen; Steinbusch, Harry W.M.; van der Ven, André J.A.M.; Grauls, Gert; Bruggeman, Cathrien A.; Stassen, Frank R.M.

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.02.014

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Volume 28, Issue 4 , Pages 524-532, April 2007

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of brain cells: An in vitro study

Ellen Boelen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, CARIM (Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, EURON (European Graduate School of Neurosciences), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Harry W.M. Steinbusch
- Department of Cellular Neuroscience, EURON (European Graduate School of Neurosciences), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
André J.A.M. van der Ven
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre St. Radbaud, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Gert Grauls
- Department of Medical Microbiology, CARIM (Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Cathrien A. Bruggeman
- Department of Medical Microbiology, CARIM (Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
Frank R.M. Stassen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, CARIM (Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +31 43 387 4663; fax: +31 43 387 6643.

Received 18 October 2005; received in revised form 14 February 2006; accepted 16 February 2006. published online 17 April 2006.

Abstract

Inspired by the suggested associations between neurological diseases and infections, we determined the susceptibility of brain cells to Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn). Murine astrocyte (C8D1A), neuronal (NB41A3) and microglial (BV-2) cell lines were inoculated with Cpn. Infection was established by immunofluorescence and real-time PCR at various time points. Productive infection was assessed by transferring medium of infected cells to a detection layer. Finally, apoptosis and necrosis post-infection was determined. Our data demonstrate that the neuronal cell line is highly sensitive to Cpn, produces viable progeny and is prone to die after infection by necrosis. Cpn tropism was similar in an astrocyte cell line, apart from the higher production of extracellular Cpn and less pronounced necrosis. In contrast, the microglial cell line is highly resistant to Cpn as the immunohistochemical signs almost completely disappeared after 24h. Nevertheless, significant Cpn DNA amounts could be detected, suggesting Cpn persistence. Low viable progeny and hardly any necrotic microglial cells were observed. Further research is warranted to determine whether these cell types show the same sensitivity to Cpn in an in vivo setting.