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Review of selected bacterial enterotoxins and their role in gastroenteritis

R C Harris1

  • 1Department of Pathology, USAF Regional Hospital MacDill, MacDill AFB, FL 33608.

Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science
|March 1, 1988
PubMed

Insights

Enterotoxins, bacterial toxins affecting the intestine, are classified as cytotonic or cytotoxic. Their precise classification and roles in gastroenteritis remain under investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Toxicology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Enterotoxin research initiated with cholera toxin characterization.
  • Gram-negative bacteria are more frequently associated with enterotoxins than Gram-positive bacteria.
  • Enterotoxins are broadly categorized into cytotonic and cytotoxic types based on their mechanism of action.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the classification and characteristics of bacterial enterotoxins.
  • To highlight the challenges in developing a universally accepted classification scheme for enterotoxins.
  • To discuss the speculative roles of enterotoxins in various gastrointestinal disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of enterotoxin research.
  • Analysis of existing classification systems for enterotoxins.
  • Examination of the biochemical and physiological properties of enterotoxins.

Main Results:

  • Cytotonic enterotoxins disrupt intestinal cell metabolism, causing watery diarrhea via cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) or cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathways.
  • Cytotoxic enterotoxins cause cell destruction in the colonic epithelium, leading to dysentery.
  • Current classification criteria, such as anatomic site and mode of action, are insufficient for definitive categorization.

Conclusions:

  • A universally accepted classification for enterotoxins has not yet been established.
  • The biochemical and physiological roles of many enterotoxins in gastroenteritis require further elucidation.
  • Continued research is necessary to fully understand enterotoxin diversity and their impact on human health.

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