AUTOANTIBODIES TO COLON IN GERMFREE RATS MONOCONTAMINATED WITH CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE

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Abstract
Germfree rats monocontaminated with the anaerobic microorganisms Clostridium difficile or another Clostridium species (strain G 62) produce auto-antibodies to colon antigen. The antigen can be extracted with phenol water from the feces of germfree rats. Antibodies, demonstrable by means of passive hemagglutination of antigen sensitized sheep erythrocytes appear after monocontamination for 35 days or longer. The indirect immunofluorescence techniques, applied to sections of germfree rat colon, gave positive mucosal staining. The staining was similar to that obtained with sera from patients with ulcerative colitis or from rats immunized with rabbit colon. No antibodies were found in the sera of germfree rats, germfree rats monocontaminated with various other bacteria, conventional rats of germfree origin, or conventional Sprague-Dawley rats.

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