THE INFLUENCE OF ENTEROCOCCUS-FAECALIS ON THE MORPHOLOGY AND THE ANTIBODY-BINDING CAPACITY OF THE INTESTINAL BACTERIA OF 10 HEALTHY-HUMAN VOLUNTEERS

The influence of Enterococcus faecalis on the morphology of the bacter ial cells which make up the gut microflora and on the levels of circul ating IgG bound to the gut microflora was assessed. After 29 days of p retreatment monitoring, ten healthy human volunteers ingested 10(7) vi able cells of E. faecalis three times daily, for 21 days. After this t reatment another 21 days of follow-up completed the study. Each volunt eer delivered eleven faecal samples during the entire study period of 71 days with a 7 day interval. Before and after the faeces sampling pe riod, blood samples were collected from all volunteers. The influence of the ingestion of E. faecalis on the morphology of the gut microflor a was measured by image analysis. In addition, the binding of circulat ing IgG to intestinal bacteria in all intermediate faecal samples was measured by means of quantitative immunofluorescence. The oral adminis tration of E. faecalis resulted in a significant change of the morphol ogical composition of the gut microflora and in a significant decrease in IgG-binding capacity of the gut microflora.