This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Albert, M J Articles by Montanaro, J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Albert, M J Articles by Montanaro, J

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1992 December; 60(12): 5017-5024

Pathogenesis of Providencia alcalifaciens-induced diarrhea.

International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka.

ABSTRACT

Providencia alcalifaciens is a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae. There are reports that P. alcalifaciens can cause diarrhea, but the mechanism(s) by which it causes diarrhea is known. We studied P. alcalifaciens isolated from a child and two adults with diarrhea for enteropathogenicity. The three isolates did not exhibit any characteristic adherence to cultured HEp-2 cell monolayers, and they did not produce enterotoxins, cytotoxins, or keratoconjunctivitis in the Sereny test. Two isolates invaded cultured HEp-2 cell monolayers, producing localized bacterial clusters and actin condensation. The pattern of actin condensation was different from that produced by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli but similar to that produced by Shigella flexneri. Invasion and actin condensation were poor for the third isolate. Histology of adult rabbit small intestinal loops inoculated with all three isolates revealed bacterial attachment to, penetration of, and microulcer formation on the surface epithelium and hyperemia, edema, and polymorphonuclear cell infiltration of lamina propria. All the isolates produced diarrhea in rabbits with removable intestinal ties, and some of these rabbits developed hindlimb paralysis. Intestinal histology of the rabbits with removable intestinal ties which developed diarrhea showed changes similar to that in adult rabbits on which ileal loop assays had been performed. Transmission electron microscopy of intestinal tissues also confirmed tissue penetration by the isolates. Nerve tissue histology of two rabbits that developed hindlimb paralysis showed focal mononuclear cell infiltration around peripheral nerve sheaths. It is concluded that some strains of P. alcalifaciens are enteropathogenic and that they cause diarrhea by invading the intestinal mucosal epithelium. However, the relevance to human disease of the hindlimb paralysis observed in this animal model is not clear.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Vieira, A. B.R., Koh, I. H.J., Guth, B. E.C. (2003). Providencia alcalifaciens strains translocate from the gastrointestinal tract and are resistant to lytic activity of serum complement. J Med Microbiol 52: 633-636 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Huys, G., Cnockaert, M., Janda, J. M., Swings, J. (2003). Escherichia albertii sp. nov., a diarrhoeagenic species isolated from stool specimens of Bangladeshi children. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 53: 807-810 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• RAHMAN, M., MONIRA, S., NAHAR, S., ANSARUZZAMAN, M., ALAM, K., ALAM, M., ALBERT, M. J. (2002). TnphoA mutants of Providencia alcalifaciens with altered invasiveness of HEp-2 cells. J Med Microbiol 51: 682-686 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• SOBREIRA, M., LEAL, N. C., MAGALHAES, M., GUTH, B. E. C., ALMEIDA, A. M. P. (2001). Molecular analysis of clinical isolates of Providencia alcalifaciens. J Med Microbiol 50: 29-34 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• O'Hara, C. M., Brenner, F. W., Miller, J. M. (2000). Classification, Identification, and Clinical Significance of Proteus, Providencia, and Morganella. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 13: 534-546 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kirov, S. M., Barnett, T. C., Pepe, C. M., Strom, M. S., Albert, M. J. (2000). Investigation of the Role of Type IV Aeromonas Pilus (Tap) in the Pathogenesis of Aeromonas Gastrointestinal Infection. Infect. Immun. 68: 4040-4048 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Elliott, S. J., Srinivas, S., Albert, M. J., Alam, K., Robins-Browne, R. M., Gunzburg, S. T., Mee, B. J., Chang, B. J. (1998). Characterization of the Roles of Hemolysin and Other Toxins in Enteropathy Caused by Alpha-Hemolytic Escherichia coli Linked to Human Diarrhea. Infect. Immun. 66: 2040-2051 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Albert, M. J., Faruque, A. S. G., Mahalanabis, D. (1998). Association of Providencia alcalifaciens with Diarrhea in Children. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 1433-1435 [Abstract] [Full Text]