TpF1 from Treponema pallidum Activates Inflammasome and Promotes the Development of Regulatory T Cells

Abstract Human syphilis is a multistage disease, with diverse and wide-ranging manifestations caused by Treponema pallidum. Despite the fact that a cell-mediated immune response takes part in the course of syphilis, T. pallidum often manages to evade host immunity and, in untreated individuals, may trigger chronic infection. With this study, we demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that Treponema pallidum induces a regulatory T (Treg) response in patients with secondary syphilis and we found that the miniferritin TpF1, produced by the bacterium, is able to expand this response and promote the production of TGF-β. Accordingly, TpF1 stimulates monocytes to release IL-10 and TGF-β,…