CASP1 and infection: In epithelial cells, which are the primary sites of infection by C. trachomatis, as well as in human monocytes and dendritic cells, NLRP3 and ASC mediate inflammasome-dependent activation of caspase-1 and secretion of cytokines in response to C. trachomatis (Lu et al., 2000; Gervassi et al., 2004; Abdul-Sater et al., 2009, 2010).