Lawsonia intracellularis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Author Information
Author(s): Christoph W. Michalski, Fabio Francesco Di Mola, Klaus Kümmel, Michael Wendt, Jörg S. Köninger, Thomas Giese, Nathalia A. Giese, Helmut Friess
Primary Institution: University of Heidelberg
Hypothesis
We hypothesized that Lawsonia intracellularis might be associated with the development of human inflammatory bowel disease.
Conclusion
Lawsonia intracellularis is not associated with the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
Supporting Evidence
- PCR using specific primers yielded no evidence of Lawsonia intracellularis in human intestinal samples.
- Amplification of DNA with less specific primers showed products related to Streptococcus species, present in both healthy and diseased specimens.
- No association was found between porcine proliferative enteropathy and human inflammatory bowel disease.
Takeaway
The study looked for a bacteria called Lawsonia intracellularis in human gut samples to see if it causes inflammatory bowel disease, but it found no evidence that it does.
Methodology
PCR was used to detect Lawsonia intracellularis DNA in intestinal tissue samples from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and controls.
Limitations
The small size of the patient population may have limited the Q-PCR analysis.
Participant Demographics
The study included 10 organ donors and 13 patients, comprising 9 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 2 with diverticulitis, 1 with sigmoid volvulus, and 1 with pancreatic cancer.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website