Open AccessPassive immunisation of hamsters against Clostridium difficile infection using antibodies to surface layer proteins
Author(s) -
O'Brien Julie B.,
McCabe Matthew S.,
AthiéMorales Verónica,
McDonald George S.A.,
Ní Eidhin Déirdre B.,
Kelleher Dermot P.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.04.005
Subject(s) - clostridium difficile , microbiology and biotechnology , antibody , virology , biology , immunology , antibiotics
Clostridium difficile is a major cause of antibiotic‐associated diarrhoea and the primary cause of psedomembraneous 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.