FIG. 2.

Effect of caspase-1 deficiency on live chlamydia shedding following chlamydial infection. Mice deficient (open bars) or competent (filled bars) for caspase-1 were infected intravaginally with C. muridarum, and vaginal swabs were taken during the course of infection as indicated on the x axis to determine the number of live organisms (expressed in IFUs) shed from the urogenital tract. The number of IFU obtained from each swab was converted into a log₁₀ value, and the log₁₀ IFU values were used to calculate the mean and standard deviation for each mouse group at each time point, as shown on the y axis. At the start of the experiment the caspase-1 KO group contained 13 mice, while the wild-type (wt) group contained 14 mice. The number of mice with detectable IFUs at each time point is indicated above the horizontal line at the top. On day 51 after the primary infection, six and five mice in the caspase-1 KO and wild-type groups, respectively, were reinfected with C. muridarum. All mice were sacrificed on day 80 after the primary infection. The log₁₀ IFU values for the KO and wild-type groups at each time point were analyzed using a two-tailed Student t test, and no statistically significant differences were found. Note that the course of infection was dramatically shortened following the secondary infection.