Skip to main content
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1985 Sep;26(9):945–951. doi: 10.1136/gut.26.9.945

Campylobacter colitis: histological immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings.

J P van Spreeuwel, G C Duursma, C J Meijer, R Bax, P C Rosekrans, J Lindeman
PMCID: PMC1432855  PMID: 4029720

Abstract

The colonic biopsy specimens of 22 patients with colitis and positive stool cultures for Campylobacter jejuni were studied in order to obtain histological and immunohistochemical criteria to differentiate Campylobacter colitis from chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In addition we tried to identify Campylobacter inclusions by means of immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy as evidence for invasion of the colonic mucosa. The results show that the majority of patients with Campylobacter colitis have the histological picture of acute infectious colitis with increased numbers of IgA and IgM containing plasma cells in the colonic mucosa in contrast with patients with active chronic inflammatory bowel disease who show increases of IgA and IgG (ulcerative colitis) or IgA-, IgM and IgG containing plasma cells (M Crohn) in their colonic biopsies. The results of immunohistochemical stainings with Campylobacter antiserum show invasion of Campylobacter in the colonic mucosa. These findings were confirmed ultrastructurally.

Full text

PDF
951

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Blaser M. J., Berkowitz I. D., LaForce F. M., Cravens J., Reller L. B., Wang W. L. Campylobacter enteritis: clinical and epidemiologic features. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Aug;91(2):179–185. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-91-2-179. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blaser M. J., Reller L. B. Campylobacter enteritis. N Engl J Med. 1981 Dec 10;305(24):1444–1452. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198112103052404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bosman F. T., Lindeman J., Kuiper G., van der Wal A., Kreunig J. The influence of fixation on immunoperoxidase staining of plasmacells in paraffin sections of intestinal biopsy specimens. Histochemistry. 1977 Jul 18;53(1):57–62. doi: 10.1007/BF00511210. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandtzaeg P., Baklien K., Fausa O., Hoel P. S. Immunohistochemical characterization of local immunoglobulin formation in ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology. 1974 Jun;66(6):1123–1136. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Butzler J. P., Skirrow M. B. Campylobacter enteritis. Clin Gastroenterol. 1979 Sep;8(3):737–765. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Day D. W., Mandal B. K., Morson B. C. The rectal biopsy appearances in Salmonella colitis. Histopathology. 1978 Mar;2(2):117–131. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.1978.tb01700.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dickinson R. J., Gilmour H. M., McClelland D. B. Rectal biopsy in patients presenting to an infectious disease unit with diarrhoeal disease. Gut. 1979 Feb;20(2):141–148. doi: 10.1136/gut.20.2.141. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Drake A. A., Gilchrist M. J., Washington J. A., 2nd, Huizenga K. A., Van Scoy R. E. Diarrhea due to Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni. A clinical review of 63 cases. Mayo Clin Proc. 1981 Jul;56(7):414–423. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KING E. O. Human infections with Vibrio fetus and a closely related vibrio. J Infect Dis. 1957 Sep-Oct;101(2):119–128. doi: 10.1093/infdis/101.2.119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kumar N. B., Nostrant T. T., Appelman H. D. The histopathologic spectrum of acute self-limited colitis (acute infectious-type colitis). Am J Surg Pathol. 1982 Sep;6(6):523–529. doi: 10.1097/00000478-198209000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lambert M. E., Schofield P. F., Ironside A. G., Mandal B. K. Campylobacter colitis. Br Med J. 1979 Mar 31;1(6167):857–859. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6167.857. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lauwers S., Vlaes L., Butzler J. P. Campylobacter serotyping a epidemiology. Lancet. 1981 Jan 17;1(8212):158–159. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(81)90748-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McKinley M. J., Taylor M., Sangree M. H. Toxic megacolon with campylobacter colitis. Conn Med. 1980 Aug;44(8):496–497. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Price A. B., Jewkes J., Sanderson P. J. Acute diarrhoea: Campylobacter colitis and the role of rectal biopsy. J Clin Pathol. 1979 Oct;32(10):990–997. doi: 10.1136/jcp.32.10.990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rosekrans P. C., Meijer C. J., van der Wal A. M., Cornelisse C. J., Lindeman J. Immunoglobulin containing cells in inflammatory bowel disease of the colon: a morphometric and immunohistochemical study. Gut. 1980 Nov;21(11):941–947. doi: 10.1136/gut.21.11.941. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Ruiz-Palacios G. M., Torres J., Torres N. I., Escamilla E., Ruiz-Palacios B. R., Tamayo J. Cholera-like enterotoxin produced by Campylobacter jejuni. Characterisation and clinical significance. Lancet. 1983 Jul 30;2(8344):250–253. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)90234-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Skirrow M. B. Campylobacter enteritis: a "new" disease. Br Med J. 1977 Jul 2;2(6078):9–11. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6078.9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Vesterby A., Baandrup U., Jacobsen N. O., Albertsen K. Campylobacter enterocolitis. An important differential diagnosis in ulcerative colitis. Acta Pathol Microbiol Immunol Scand A. 1983 Jan;91(1):31–33. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Willoughby C. P., Piris J., Truelove S. C. Campylobacter colitis. J Clin Pathol. 1979 Oct;32(10):986–989. doi: 10.1136/jcp.32.10.986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES