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Experimental Campylobacter jejuni infection in humans
R E Black1, M M Levine, M L Clements
1Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases
|March 1, 1988
Summary
Campylobacter jejuni infection in adults caused diarrhea, with one strain leading to more severe illness. Antibody response protected against reinfection but not initial infection.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide.
- Understanding the dose-response relationship and pathogenesis of C. jejuni is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the infectious dose and clinical manifestations of two C. jejuni strains in adult volunteers.
- To investigate the role of fecal leukocytes and antibody response in C. jejuni infections.
Main Methods:
- 111 adult volunteers were orally inoculated with varying doses of two C. jejuni strains (A3249 and 81-176).
- Clinical symptoms, stool volume, and presence of fecal leukocytes were monitored.
- Serum antibody responses to C. jejuni group antigen were assessed.
Main Results:
- Infection rates increased with C. jejuni dose, but illness severity did not strictly correlate with dose.
- Strain 81-176 caused more frequent and severe illness, characterized by higher stool volume and dysentery.
- All infected volunteers exhibited fecal leukocytes, indicating intestinal inflammation. A protective antibody response was observed post-illness.
Conclusions:
- Campylobacter jejuni infection pathogenesis involves tissue inflammation, as evidenced by fecal leukocytes and dysentery.
- While infection can occur at low doses, illness severity varies between strains.
- Humoral immunity confers protection against subsequent illness but not against initial infection with the same C. jejuni strain.