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Colostrum from healthy Brazilian women inhibits adhesion and contains IgA antibodies reactive with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

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Abstract

Although Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been isolated in Brazil, severe manifestations of the infection, such as haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome, are extremely rare in our population. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is the main aetiological agent of acute infantile diarrhoea in Brazil. There are many similarities between STEC and EPEC, such as the ability to produce attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions and some virulence-associated factors. Our aim was to investigate the presence of anti-STEC antibodies in healthy people living in an EPEC endemic area. Colostrum samples collected from 51 women living in low socio-economic conditions were analysed. Two STEC strains: O111:H- (Stx1) and O157:H7 (Stx2), and one EPEC strain (O111:H-) were used in the bacterial adhesion assays to HEp-2 cells, in the Stx1 and Stx2 cytotoxicity assays on Vero cells, in immunoblotting and in ELISA assays. All the samples strongly inhibited the adhesion of the three strains and contained SIgA antibodies reactive with antigens of EPEC O111:H-, STEC O111:H- and STEC O157:H7, mainly STEC and EPEC 94 kDa adhesin intimin. High titres of anti-LPS O111 antibodies were found in many samples. Nevertheless, the cytotoxic effect of both Stx1 and Stx2 on Vero cells was not neutralised by any sample. Conclusion: Our results suggest that Brazilian people may be exposed to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli more frequently than previously thought or alternatively there may be a cross reactive immunity between enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

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Abbreviations

EPEC :

enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

HUS :

haemolytic-uraemic syndrome

IB :

immunoblotting

LPS :

lipopolysaccharide

STEC :

shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Stx :

shiga toxin

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Acknowledgements

The authors are most grateful to the Obstetric Clinics of Hospital Universitário da Universidade de São Paulo, Rosana Prisco for the statistical analysis, Aparecida T. Nagao, PhD, Gerlândia N. Pontes, PhD, and Cristiane B. Carbonare, PhD for their valuable help. Financial support was from FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Patricia Palmeira & Magda Maria Sales Carneiro-Sampaio

  2. Laboratório de Imunogenética, Instituto Butantan, Av. Dr. Vital Brasil, 1500 CEP 05503–900, S.P., São Paulo, Brazil

    Solange Barros Carbonare, José Araujo Amaral & Milene Tino-De-Franco

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  1. Patricia Palmeira
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  2. Solange Barros Carbonare
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  3. José Araujo Amaral
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  4. Milene Tino-De-Franco
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  5. Magda Maria Sales Carneiro-Sampaio
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Correspondence to Solange Barros Carbonare.

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Palmeira, P., Carbonare, S.B., Amaral, J.A. et al. Colostrum from healthy Brazilian women inhibits adhesion and contains IgA antibodies reactive with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Eur J Pediatr 164, 37–43 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-004-1561-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-004-1561-3

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