The researchers also asked whether there were any antibodies (proteins made by the immune system that recognize infectious organisms) in the tears or blood of the infected individuals that recognized the Hsp60 protein of each Chlamydiaceae species; an immune response to C. trachomatis Hsp60 is thought to be involved in the inflammation and scarring seen in trachoma. This evidence concerns the gene HSPD1 and inclusion conjunctivitis.