The Pathogenesis Of C. Jejuni-related Disease

Main Category: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 03 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Campylobacters are small Gram-negative spiral rods. Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), a foodborne organism contracted from untreated water, milk and meat, especially chicken, is one of the most important causes of bacterial diarrhea worldwide. However, its mode of pathogenesis is not clear.

A research article to be published on December 28, 2008 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. The research team led by Christopher J Hawkey from Nottingham University Hospital of United Kingdom investigated whether different strains isolated from patients with Campylobacter infection had different effects.

Nineteen consecutive strains from community patients with acute bacterial enteritis were isolated and three of them were compared with the laboratory strain 12189. All strains translocated across monolayers but only a minority invaded HCA-7 cells. Strains that invaded HCA-7 cells destroyed monolayer resistance over 6 h, accompanied by increased release of lactate. dehydrogenase, a four-fold increase in permeability to (3H) mannitol, and ultrastructural disruption of tight junctions, with rounding and lifting of cells off the filter membrane. Synthesis of interleukin (IL)-8 and prostaglandin E2 was increased with strains that invaded the monolayer but not with those that did not.

Their results indicated that two distinct patterns of interaction between clinical isolates of C. jejuni and a colonic epithelial cell line. Strains that invaded epithelial cells were shown to destroy them, Strains that did not invade epithelial cells did not affect barrier properties or increase mediator production. The data raised the possibility that with some Campylobacter infections the epithelian can be the source of pro-secretory and pro-inflammatory compounds.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Reference: Beltinger J, del Buono J, Skelly MM, Thornley J, Spiller RC, Stack WA, Hawkey CJ. Disruption of colonic barrier function and induction of mediator release by strains of Campylobacter jejuni that invade epithelial cells. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(48): 7345-7352 www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/14/7345.asp

About World Journal of Gastroenterology

World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.

About The WJG Press

The WJG Press mainly publishes World Journal of Gastroenterology

. Lai-Fu Li
World Journal of Gastroenterology