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Unlike most other bacterial pathogens, <jats:italic>T. pallidum<\/jats:italic> infection produces indeed a strong angiogenic response whose mechanism of activation, however, remains unknown. Here, we report that one of the major antigen of <jats:italic>T. pallidum<\/jats:italic>, the TpF1 protein, has growth factor-like activity on primary cultures of human endothelial cells and activates specific T cells able to promote tissue factor production. The growth factor-like activity is mediated by the secretion of IL-8 but not of VEGF, two known angiogenic factors. The pathogen\u2019s factor signals IL-8 secretion through the activation of the CREB\/NF-\u03baB signalling pathway. These findings are recapitulated in an animal model, zebrafish, where we observed that TpF1 injection stimulates angiogenesis and IL-8, but not VEGF, secretion. This study suggests that the angiogenic response observed during secondary syphilis is triggered by TpF1 and that pharmacological therapies directed to inhibit IL-8 response in patients should be explored to treat this disease.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/srep18785","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,1,5]],"date-time":"2016-01-05T10:13:38Z","timestamp":1451988818000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":40,"title":["Treponema pallidum (syphilis) antigen TpF1 induces angiogenesis through the activation of the IL-8 pathway"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Tommaso","family":"Pozzobon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicola","family":"Facchinello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fleur","family":"Bossi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nagaja","family":"Capitani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marisa","family":"Benagiano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giulietta","family":"Di Benedetto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Zennaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"West","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gaia","family":"Codolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marialina","family":"Bernardini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cosima Tatiana","family":"Baldari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mario Milco","family":"D\u2019Elios","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Pellegrini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Argenton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marina","family":"de Bernard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,1,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"BFsrep18785_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1007\/s12105-009-0127-0","volume":"3","author":"G Ficarra","year":"2009","unstructured":"Ficarra, G. & Carlos, R. 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