Microbiome, sex hormones, and immune responses in the reproductive tract: challenges for vaccine development against sexually transmitted infections

Rebecca M Brotman; Jacques Ravel; Patrik M Bavoil; Patti E Gravitt; Khalil G Ghanem

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.10.010

Microbiome, sex hormones, and immune responses in the reproductive tract: challenges for vaccine development against sexually transmitted infections

Vaccine. 2014 Mar 20;32(14):1543-52. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.10.010. Epub 2013 Oct 14.

Authors

Rebecca M Brotman¹, Jacques Ravel², Patrik M Bavoil³, Patti E Gravitt⁴, Khalil G Ghanem⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: rbrotman@som.umaryland.edu.
² Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: jravel@som.umaryland.edu.
³ Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: PBavoil@umaryland.edu.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: pgravitt@jhsph.edu.
⁵ Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: kghanem@jhmi.edu.

Abstract

The female and male reproductive tracts are complex eco-systems where immune cells, hormones, and microorganisms interact. The characteristics of the reproductive tract mucosa are distinct from other mucosal sites. Reproductive tract mucosal immune responses are compartmentalized, unique, and affected by resident bacterial communities and sex hormones. The female and male genital microbiomes are complex environments that fluctuate in response to external and host-associated stimuli. The female vaginal microbiota play an important role in preventing colonization by pathogenic organisms. Sex hormones and their duration of exposure affect the composition and stability of the microbiome as well as systemic and mucosal immune responses. In addition to the characteristics of the pathogen they are targeting, successful vaccines against sexually transmitted pathogens must take into account the differences between the systemic and mucosal immune responses, the compartmentalization of the mucosal immune responses, the unique characteristics of the reproductive tract mucosa, the role of the mucosal bacterial communities, the impact of sex hormones, and the interactions among all of these factors.

Keywords: Mucosal immunology; Review; Sex hormones; Sexually transmitted infections; Vaccines; Vaginal microbiota.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adaptive Immunity
Female
Genitalia, Male / microbiology
Gonadal Steroid Hormones / immunology*
Humans
Immunity, Innate
Immunity, Mucosal*
Male
Microbiota*
Sexually Transmitted Diseases / prevention & control*
Vaccines*
Vagina / microbiology

Substances

Gonadal Steroid Hormones
Vaccines

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding