title: Detection of Clostridium perfringens toxin genes in the gut microbiota of autistic children.
abstract: We studied stool specimens from 33 autistic children aged 2-9 years with gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities and 13 control children without autism and without GI symptoms. We performed quantitative comparison of all Clostridium species and Clostridium perfringens strains from the fecal microbiota by conventional, selective anaerobic culture methods. We isolated C. perfringens strains and performed PCR analysis for the main C. perfringens toxin genes, alpha, beta, beta2, epsilon, iota and C. perfringens enterotoxin gene. Our results indicate that autistic subjects with gastrointestinal disease harbor statistically significantly (p = 0.031) higher counts of C. perfringens in their gut compared to control children. Autistic subjects also harbor statistically significantly (p = 0.015) higher counts of beta2-toxin gene-producing C. perfringens in their gut compared to control children, and the incidence of beta2-toxin gene-producing C. perfringens is significantly higher in autistic subjects compared to control children (p = 0.014). Alpha toxin gene was detected in all C. perfringens strains studied. C. perfringens enterotoxin gene was detected from three autistic and one control subject. Beta, epsilon, and iota toxin genes were not detected from autistic or control subjects.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Section, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States; Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, UCLA School of Medicine, 405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States; Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, 405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. Electronic address: sidfinegold@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sydney M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Finegold
authors.affiliation: Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States.
authors.forename: Paula H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Summanen
authors.affiliation: Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Downes
authors.affiliation: Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Corbett
authors.affiliation: Research Service, VA Medical Center West Los Angeles, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, United States; Department of Sustainable Engineering, College of Industrial Technology, Nihon University, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komoriya
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000382:microbiology*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins
keywords: Autism; Beta2 toxin; Clostridium perfringens; Microbiome; Toxin gene