CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS TYPE-A CYTOTOXIC-ENTEROTOXIN(S) AS TRIGGERS FOR DEATH IN THE SUDDEN-INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME - DEVELOPMENT OF A TOXICO-INFECTION HYPOTHESIS
Ja. Lindsay et al., CLOSTRIDIUM-PERFRINGENS TYPE-A CYTOTOXIC-ENTEROTOXIN(S) AS TRIGGERS FOR DEATH IN THE SUDDEN-INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME - DEVELOPMENT OF A TOXICO-INFECTION HYPOTHESIS, Current microbiology, 27(1), 1993, pp. 51-59
In our studies with the pathogenic bacterium Clostridium perfringens t
ype A and its cytotoxic-enterotoxins (CTEs), we have obtained results
that imply an involvement of this organism in the sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS). In fecal samples obtained from SIDS infants (n = 164)
and non-SIDS infants (n = 57), C. perfringens type A was present in h
igh numbers in >80% of SIDS and <2% of control non-SIDS cases respecti
vely. Fecal samples from SIDS infants analyzed by ELISA for C. perfrin
gens type A CTEs showed a very strong positive correlation with the pr
esence of the organism. Histopathological examination of ileal tissue
from SIDS infants showed remarkable similarity to tissue from animal m
odels affected by C. perfringens type A CTEs, where the patterns of da
mage were positively correlated with the age of the animal. We propose
that systemic distribution of the CTEs acts parasympathomimetically t
o trigger a biochemical cascade that alters cardiorespiratory control.
Death may subsequently ensue in an immunologically vulnerable infant.