The invasion of epithelial cell lines and the intestinal epithelium of infant mice by Campylobacter jejuni/coli.

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni and C coli are common causes of human acute bacterial gastroenteritis, but the mechanism of pathogenesis is unknown. In this study the invasiveness of two human fecal isolates in the human epithelial cell lines HeLa 299 and INT 407 and in the intestinal mucosa of the five-day-old infant mouse has been demonstrated, using electron microscopic techniques. Neither isolates attached readily to the tissue culture cells However, when organisms were centrifuged onto the cell surfaces.attachment was enhanced; and invasion occurred within 10 min.. and appeared to be concomitant with cell death Both isolates colonized the lower small intestine, cecum and colon of the infant mouse gut One isolate penetrated the intestinal epithelial cells and the lamina propria, and induced a circulating IgG anti body response. The results provide further evidence for the enteroinvasiveness of C je/uni and C coli and suggest that the infant mouse may be a suitable model for evaluating the virulence ol different strains.