A microbiologist at ETSU has received a $1.9 million National Institutes of Health grant to study the relationship between human iron levels and the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia.
The study focuses on how low iron levels cause increased production of chlamydial proteins and antigens, said Dr. Jane Raulston, associate professor of pathology and microbiology at Quillen College of Medicine, who heads the study.
“When these bacteria do not have sufficient iron, they become angry and release harmful substances that can be toxic to the body,” she said.
Chlamydia is the most prevalent bacterial agent of STDs for people aged 15-24, Raulston said. However, because the bacteria grow slowly, most people who have the disease are unaware they have contracted the infection.
“This is of particular concern to women at this age, who are at the peak of their reproductive years and whose menstruation cycles can cause fluctuation in iron levels, she said.
The bacteria are clever, Ralston said. It initially “hides out” from the immune system, going unnoticed by remaining deep in the tissues of the genital tract.
Eventually, the disease can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, as well as the formation of scar tissue in the genital tract.
This in turn can cause life-threatening ectopic pregnancies and infertility.
“You can treat chlamydia,” Raulston said. “But you have to know you have it first.”
Raulston is the first person to study the relationship between iron levels and chlamydia. She began her research five years ago with an NIH grant.
The latest grant Raulston received is for five years and is of the highest level awarded by NIH for a single investigator.
The grant will help Raulston continue her research, which could lead to vaccines to ease the symptoms, or even cure those with diseases caused by chlamydia.
“We want to better understand why chlamydia causes disease,” Raulston said. “Despite years of research, leading scientists in our field have not been able to get a full handle on this.”
Part of the problem, Raulston said, is that the medical community is still making up for lost time when it comes to researching sexually transmitted diseases.
Due to silence in the medical community that persisted even through the AIDS epidemic, very few researchers studied the diseases.
“I have heard some of my most senior mentors say that to do research with a sexually transmitted disease pathogen was not, quote, ‘a gentlemanly profession,'” Raulston said.
“That was 68 years ago, but as a result, we’re all a little bit behind in really understanding them. And, of course, we’re learning quickly because of the AIDS epidemic.

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