Passive immunisation of hamsters against Clostridium difficile infection using antibodies to surface layer proteins.

Abstract

Clostridium difficile is a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and the primary cause of pseudomembraneous colitis in hospitalised patients. We assessed the protective effect of anti-surface layer protein (SLP) antibodies on C. difficile infection in a lethal hamster challenge model. Post-challenge survival was significantly prolonged in the anti-SLP treated group compared with control groups (P=0.0281 and P=0.0283). The potential mechanism of action of the antiserum was shown to be through enhancement of C. difficile phagocytosis. This report indicates that anti-SLP antibodies can modulate the course of C. difficile infection and may therefore merit closer investigation for use as constituents of multi-component vaccines against C. difficile associated diarrhoea.

• Authors: Julie B O'Brien, Matthew S McCabe, Verónica Athié-Morales, George S A McDonald, Déirdre B Ní Eidhin, Dermot P Kelleher
• Journal: FEMS microbiology letters (FEMS Microbiol Lett) Vol. 246 Issue 2 Pg. 199-205 (May 15 2005) ISSN: 0378-1097 [Print] England
• PMID: 15899406 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Bacterial Proteins
• Membrane Glycoproteins
• S-layer proteins

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Bacterial (immunology, therapeutic use)
• Bacterial Proteins (immunology)
• Cell Line
• Clostridioides difficile (immunology)
• Cricetinae
• Disease Models, Animal
• Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous (prevention & control)
• Female
• Humans
• Immunization, Passive
• Membrane Glycoproteins (immunology)
• Mesocricetus
• Monocytes
• Phagocytosis