Immunocompromise in Gnotobiotic Pigs Induced by Verotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli (O111:NM)

Authors

Jane Christopher-Hennings, South Dakota State University
JoAnn A. Willgohs, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
David H. Francis, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Usha A. K. Raman, South Dakota State University
Rodney A. Moxley, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
David J. Hurley, South Dakota State University

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

6-1-1993

Comments

Published in INFECTION AND IMMUNITY, June 1993, p. 2304-2308. Copyright 1993, American Society for Microbiology. Used by permission.

Abstract

A verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli serotype O111:NM strain (strain 10049; verotoxin 1 positive) persistently infected experimentally inoculated gnotobiotic pigs, causing attaching-effacing intestinal lesions and chronic diarrhea. Experiments were performed to determine whether persistent infection might be associated with immunocompromise of the host by this organism. Pigs inoculated with this strain had a significant reduction in peripheral blood lymphocytes and lower antibody titers to sheep erythrocytes compared with control pigs. Compared with pigs given a verotoxin-negative pathogenic strain of the same serotype (O111:NM, strain 2430), pigs inoculated with the verotoxin-positive strain had lower peripheral lymphocyte counts and proliferative responses to concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, and pokeweed mitogens. The results of this study suggest that strain 10049 has an immunocompromising effect on gnotobiotic pigs.