Enhancement of Disease and Pathology by Synergy of Trichuris Suis and Campylobacter Jejuni in the Colon of Immunologically Naive Swine

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni, a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, has different age distribution and disease expression in developing and developed countries, which may be due to the endemnicity of infection and the age of acquisition of immunity. Differences in disease expression are not solely dependent on the C. jejuni strain or virulence attributes. Another modulating factor in developing countries may be endemic nematode infections such as Trichuris, which drive type 2 cytokine responses and down-regulate type 1 immune responses. In this study, three-day-old germfree pigs given dual infections with Trichuris suis and C. jejuni had more frequent, more severe diarrhea and severe pathology than pigs given no pathogens, only T. suis, or only C. jejuni. These pigs had significant hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrates in the proximal colon where adult worms were found, and abscessed lymphoglandular complexes in the distal colon with intracellular C. jejuni. Pigs given only C. jejuni had mild clinical signs and pathology, and bacteria in feces or extracellular sites. Pigs given T. suis or no pathogens had no disease and minimal pathology. Thus, these agents synergized to produce significant disease and pathology, which was site specific.

Metronidazole—but not IL-10 or prednisolone—rescues Trichuris muris infected C57BL/6 IL-10 deficient mice from severe disease

“…Antibiotic treatment significantly reduced lesions demonstrating a role for enteric bacteria and suggesting a worm-induced suppression of immunity to resident bacteria (Mansfield and Urban, 1996). In fact, combined infection with T. suis and C. jejuni reproduced the disease and lesions in germ free pigs, while ether agent alone did not (Mansfield et al, 2003). Recent studies in T. suis infected pigs show changes in the microbial community of the colon with some accompanying metabolic changes Wu et al, 2012).…”

Is endemic helminthiasis in sub-Saharan Africa the sole reason for the low prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease? Impacts on public health

“…Dans une lettre à propos de ce cas, Van Kruiningen et West [66] considèrent que T. suis peut être invasif et potentiellement dangereux à long terme, contrairement à l'avis subséquent de Summers et al [67], qui recommandent cependant la vigilance ainsi que des études multicentriques à long terme. Par ailleurs, chez un patient co-infecté par Trichuris trichuria et Campylobacter jejuni, une colite grave avec mégacôlon toxique et insuffisance rénale est survenue et a été jugulée par antibiotiques + mébendazole [68] Les auteurs ont mentionné que dans un modèle expérimental chez le porc, C. jejuni n'était pathogène qu'en présence de T. suis [69].…”

An update on the use of helminths to treat Crohn’s and other autoimmunune diseases

“…This issue was presented when Mansfield et al (2003) described the natural infection of swine with the porcine whipworm T. suis and the appearance of secondary infections with the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni. In their study, three-day-old germfree pigs given dual infections with T. suis and C. jejuni had more frequent and severe diarrhea and significant pathological effects than pigs given either no pathogens, or only T. suis, or only C. jejuni.…”

“…These pigs had significant hemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltrates in the proximal colon where adult worms were found, and abscessed lymphoglandular complexes in the distal colon with intracellular C. jejuni also present. Mansfield et al (2003) found that pigs given only C. jejuni had mild clinical signs and pathology whereas the combined effects of T. suis and C. jejuni produced significant site-specific disease and pathology. Abner et al (2002) developed a swine model in which natural host resistance to C. jejuni was altered by experimental infection with T. suis.…”