Antichlamydial activity of tear fluid

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Abstract
Tear fluid collected from healthy children and adults, was tested for its capacity to inhibit Chlamydia trachomatis, serotype I, to form inclusions in McCoy cell cultures. Pooled tear fluid added to such cultures reduced the chlamydial inclusion count even at concentrations of 1%. The inhibitory activity was concentration-dependent. The chlamydial inhibitory factor has a molecular weight of less than 10,000 dalton and the principle is heat-stable. The antichlamydial factor seems to affect the attachment of the elementary body (EB) to the host cell surface, while no effect on the intracellular development and reproduction of the chlamydiae could be demonstrated. The activity could not be explained by the presence of antichlamydial antibodies.