Lior-serotype variants in Campylobacter isolates from the same stool sample

Campylobacter strains isolated from the same stool sample were characterised by determination of biochemical properties and both heat-labile (Lior) and heat-stable (Lauwers) serotypes. In six of 60 campylobacter-infected stools, two or three strains differing in Lior-serotype were isolated from the same stool. In four of these six cases, the isolates with different Lior-serotypes showed identical biochemical reactions and identical heat-stable antigenic patterns. A predominant Lior-serotype was not detected among them but Lauwers-antigens O:3, O:14 and O:16 were found in isolates from three of the six stool samples. Moreover, the isolates were identified as C. coli in 76.5% of the stool samples (p < 0.05). We believe that variation in heat-labile antigens occurs in vivo and might be associated particularly with certain heat-stable serotypes of C. coli.