The detection of Shiga toxins in the kidney of a patient with hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Infection of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli induces hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in 10 to 15% of cases in infants and young children. Although the endothelial cell damage induced by Stx is widely believed to be a primary event of renal dysfunction in HUS, the precise mechanism remains to be elucidated. We were able to examine the kidney obtained at autopsy of a child who died after HUS associated with Stx-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection, and immunohistochemistry indicated the deposition of Stxl and Stx2 in a portion of the distal tubular epithelia. To our knowledge, this is the first report to show the presence of Stx in human tissue of a patient with HUS, and the results obtained in this study provide evidence that Stx indeed migrates into the kidney and binds to renal tubules during Stx-producing Escherichia coli infection.
Uchida
H
H
Department of Infectious Diseases Research, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Kiyokawa
N
N
Horie
H
H
Fujimoto
J
J
Takeda
T
T
D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry*; D022603:Shiga Toxins
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D022603:Shiga Toxins