Furthermore, partner re-infection after treatment for trichomoniasis indicates a lack of effective adaptive immunity to Tv. Using primary human leukocytes, we have demonstrated that Tv has leukotoxic activity, that IL-8 secretion dominates the primary cytokine response to Tv infection, and that the M. hominis symbiont is likely to play a major role in shaping more robust and diverse inflammatory responses to Tv. These results form a foundation for the dissection of interactions between Tv and the cells of the human immune system. Here, CXCL8 is linked to Trichomonas vaginitis urogenital infection.