Susceptibility of primary human endothelial cells to C. perfringens beta-toxin suggesting similar pathogenesis in human and porcine necrotizing enteritis

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology 2011-11, Vol.153 (1), p.173-177
• Main Authors: Popescu, F., Wyder, M., Gurtner, C., Frey, J., Cooke, R.A., Greenhill, A.R., Posthaus, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; bacterial infections; Bacterial Toxins - metabolism; Beta-toxin; cell culture; Cells, Cultured; Clostridium Infections - microbiology; Clostridium Infections - pathology; Clostridium Infections - veterinary; Clostridium perfringens; Clostridium perfringens C; Clostridium perfringens type C; cytopathogenicity; Endothelial cell; endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells - microbiology; Endothelial Cells - pathology; enteritis; Enteritis - microbiology; Enteritis - pathology; Enterotoxins - metabolism; highlands; hosts; Humans; in vitro studies; necrosis; Necrosis - pathology; Necrotizing enteritis; Papua New Guinea; pathogenesis; Pigbel; piglets; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases - microbiology; Swine Diseases - pathology; thrombosis; toxicity
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2011.02.017

Clostridium perfringens type C causes fatal necrotizing enteritis in different mammalian hosts, most commonly in newborn piglets. Human cases are rare, but the disease, also called pigbel, was endemic in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Lesions in piglets and humans are very similar and characterized by segmental necro-hemorrhagic enteritis in acute cases and fibrino-necrotizing enteritis in subacute cases. Histologically, deep mucosal necrosis accompanied by vascular thrombosis and necrosis was consistently reported in naturally affected pigs and humans. This suggests common pathogenetic mechanisms. Previous in vitro studies using primary porcine aortic endothelial cells suggested that beta-toxin (CPB) induced endothelial damage contributes to the pathogenesis of C. perfringens type C enteritis in pigs. In the present study we investigated toxic effects of CPB on cultured primary human macro- and microvascular endothelial cells. In vitro, these cells were highly sensitive to CPB and reacted with similar cytopathic and cytotoxic effects as porcine endothelial cells. Our results indicate that porcine and human cell culture based in vitro models represent valuable tools to investigate the pathogenesis of this bacterial disease in animals and humans.