Dr. Dezső Virok

Email: virok.dezso.peter@med.u-szeged.hu

Phone: +36 62 545-541

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Research areas

    The focus of our research is the host-pathogen relationship of chlamydial infections, especially Chlamydia trachomatis infections.

    Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria, propagating in epithelial cells primarily. C. trachomatis infections induce acute and chronic pelvic inflammations, potentially leading to fibrosis and infertility.


  • > We investigate the involvement of host (human, mouse) genes in the inflammation, using high-throughput methods such as DNA-chip technology.

  • > Our other topic is the identification of cellular defense mechanisms with which the host cells inhibit chlamydial growth. We developed methods for the quick measurement of chlamydial growth.

  • > The third topic is the search for natural and arteficial compounds that are capable to inhibit the chlamydial attachment to host cells, preventing the infection.

Selected publications:

  • Eszik I, Lantos I, Önder K, Somogyvári F, Burián K, Endrész V, Virok DP.:
    High dynamic range detection of Chlamydia trachomatis growth by direct quantitative PCR of the infected cells. J Microbiol Methods. 2015 Nov 11. pii: S0167-7012(15)30113-5.

  • Bogdanov A, Endrész V, Urbán S, Lantos I, Deák J, Burián K, Önder K, Ayaydin F, Balázs P, Virok DP.:
    Application of DNA chip scanning technology for automatic detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae inclusions. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014;58(1):405-13.

  • Burian K, Endresz V, Deak J, Kormanyos Z, Pal A, Nelson D, Virok D.:
    Transcriptome analysis indicates an enhanced activation of adaptive and innate immunity by chlamydia-infected murine epithelial cells treated with interferon ?. J Infect Dis. 2010 Nov 1;202(9):1405-14.

  • Nelson DE, Virok DP, Wood H, Roshick C, Johnson RM, Whitmire WM, Crane DD, Steele-Mortimer O, Kari L, McClarty G, Caldwell HD.:
    Chlamydial IFN-gamma immune evasion is linked to host infection tropism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Jul 26;102(30):10658-63.

  • Virok DP, Nelson DE, Whitmire WM, Crane DD, Goheen MM, Caldwell HD.:
    Chlamydial infection induces pathobiotype-specific protein tyrosine phosphorylation in epithelial cells. Infect Immun. 2005 Apr;73(4):1939-46. PubMed PMID: 15784533; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1087445.

  • Virok D, Loboda A, Kari L, Nebozhyn M, Chang C, Nichols C, Endresz V, Gonczol E, Berencsi K, Showe MK, Showe LC.:
    Infection of U937 monocytic cells with Chlamydia pneumoniae induces extensive changes in host cell gene expression. J Infect Dis. 2003 Nov 1;188(9):1310-21.