Interaction between Trichomonas vaginalis and the Prostate Epithelium

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Most men infected with Trichomonas vaginalis are asymptomatic, potentially leading to chronic prostate infections.
• Adhesion to host cells is crucial for T. vaginalis infection, but its interaction with prostate cells is not well understood.
• Previous studies suggest T. vaginalis can induce prostate epithelial cell inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the adhesion and cytotoxicity of T. vaginalis to prostate epithelial cells.
• To determine if T. vaginalis infection triggers inflammatory responses and cellular changes in prostate cells.
• To explore the role of T. vaginalis adhesion in initiating prostate inflammation.

Main Methods:

• Infection of RWPE-1 prostate epithelial cells with T. vaginalis at different ratios (1:0.4 and 1:4).
• Measurement of T. vaginalis adhesion and prostate cell cytotoxicity over time.
• Quantification of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, CCL2, CXCL8) and assessment of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (E-cadherin, vimentin).

Main Results:

• T. vaginalis adhesion to RWPE-1 cells increased over time.
• Cytotoxicity of prostate cells increased following T. vaginalis infection, with faster increases at higher infection ratios.
• Pro-inflammatory cytokine production (IL-1β, IL-6, CCL2, CXCL8) and EMT markers were elevated post-infection.

Conclusions:

• T. vaginalis adheres to prostate epithelial cells, inducing cytotoxicity, inflammation, and EMT.
• These findings provide the first evidence that T. vaginalis adhesion to normal prostate cells may initiate inflammation.
• The study suggests a mechanism for how asymptomatic T. vaginalis infections can lead to chronic prostatic issues.