OCLN and sexually transmitted disease: Directly relevant to our study, recent work by Hinderfield and colleagues (52) demonstrated that CST IV-associated microorganisms promote paracellular permeability of human ectocervical monolayers with coincident down-regulation of zonulin and occludin expression, leading them to hypothesize that undermining cervical epithelium integrity enhances susceptibility to TV and other STI pathogens (52).