Campylobacter pylori virulence factors in gnotobiotic piglets

Abstract

Thirty-three gnotobiotic piglets from 4 litters were challenged with motile and nonmotile strains of Campylobacter pylori. The most motile strain, 26695, was the most virulent, with a 100% infection rate. The least motile strain, Tx30a, was the least virulent, with an infection rate of only 17%. Strain 60190 was weakly motile and had intermediate virulence, with an infection rate of 40%. Strains recovered from piglets were more motile than the challenge strains. The challenge strains also differed in cytotoxin production. The least virulent strain, Tx30a, was nontoxigenic, while the other 2 strains produced high levels of cytotoxin. Thus, virulence of C. pylori for gnotobiotic piglets correlated very well with motility and not as well with cytotoxin production.