Early activation of mucosal dendritic cells and macrophages in acute Campylobacter colitis and cholera: An in vivo study.
OBJECTIVE
Macrophages and dendritic cells are closely related mononuclear phagocytic cells. Little is known about their in vivo role in acute intestinal bacterial infections in humans. We undertook to evaluate these cells in rectal mucosal biopsies of patients with acute colitis.


METHODS
All mucosal mononuclear phagocytic cells in rectal biopsies of patients with acute Campylobacter colitis (n = 5), shigellosis (n = 5), and cholera (n = 10) were evaluated ultrastructurally and compared with those in controls (n = 5).


RESULTS
Mononuclear phagocytic cells in the superficial rectal mucosa showed a higher prevalence of ultrastructural features of activation in Campylobacter colitis and cholera than in controls. A lower prevalence of features of activation with increased monocytes was seen in shigellosis. Cells with the ultrastructural morphology of activated dendritic cells constituted 41% and 45% of all mononuclear phagocytic cells in two of five patients with Campylobacter colitis and 4-22% of cells in four of 10 patients with cholera. Their presence in patients with Campylobacter colitis was associated with significant surface epithelial damage and prominent acute inflammatory changes in the mucosa.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first ultrastructural study to show activated macrophages and dendritic cells in vivo in acute Campylobacter colitis and cholera. Dendritic cell activation occurred early in the clinical course of these infections. Surface epithelial damage may play a role in the activation of dendritic cells.
Pulimood
Anna B
AB
Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. annapulimood@cmcvellore.ac.in
Ramakrishna
Balakrishna S
BS
Rita
Arockiasamy B
AB
Srinivasan
Pattabiraman
P
Mohan
Vivek
V
Gupta
Sanjaykumar
S
Perakath
Benjamin
B
Kang
Gagandeep
G
Chandy
George
G
Balasubramanian
Kunnissery A
KA
D000208:Acute Disease; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D002771:Cholera / Q000382:microbiology*; D003092:Colitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*