ENTEROAGGREGATIVE ESCHERICHIA-COLI PRODUCE INTESTINAL INFLAMMATION AND GROWTH IMPAIRMENT AND CAUSE INTERLEUKIN-8 RELEASE FROM INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC) are emerging as an important cause of persistent diarrhea, especially in children in the developing world , yet the pathogenesis of EAggEC infection is poorly understood, In an ongoing prospective study of childhood diarrhea in an urban Brazilian slum, EAggEC are the leading cause of persistent diarrhea, Children f rom this study with EAggEC and persistent diarrhea had significant ele vations in fecal lactoferrin, interleukin (IL)-8, and IL-1 beta, Moreo ver, children with EAggEC without diarrhea had elevated fecal lactofer rin and IL-1 beta concentrations, The children with EAggEC in their st ool had significant growth impairment after their positive culture, re gardless of the presence or absence of diarrhea, Finally, 2 EAggEC str ains were shown to cause IL-8 release from Caco-2 cells, apparently vi a a novel heat-stable, high-molecular-weight protein, These findings s uggest that EAggEC may contribute to childhood malnutrition, trigger i ntestinal inflammation in vivo, and induce IL-8 secretion in vitro.