Clostridium difficile toxin B is more potent than toxin A in damaging human colonic epithelium in vitro (original) (raw)

Toxin A but not toxin B, appears to mediate intestinal damage in animal models of Clostridium difficile enteritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the electrophysiologic and morphologic effects of purified C. difficile toxins A and B on human colonic mucosa in Ussing chambers. Luminal exposure of tissues to 16-65 nM of toxin A and 0.2-29 nM of toxin B for 5 h caused dose-dependent epithelial damage. Potential difference, short-circuit current and resistance decreased by 76, 58, and 46%, respectively, with 32 nM of toxin A and by 76, 55, and 47%, respectively, with 3 nM of toxin B, when compared with baseline (P < 0.05).