Effect of Clostridium perfringens β-Toxin on Platelets

DOI
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
29064418
Abstract
Clostridium perfringensβ-toxin (CPB) is the major virulence factor of C.perfringens type C causing a hemorrhagic enteritis in animals and humans. In experimentally infected pigs, endothelial binding of CPB was shown to be associated with early vascular lesions and hemorrhage but without obvious thrombosis of affected vessels, suggesting altered hemostasis in the early phase of the disease. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of CPB on platelets, with respect to primary hemostasis. Our results demonstrate that CPB binds to porcine and human platelets and forms oligomers resulting in a time- and dose-dependent cell death. Platelets showed rapid ultrastructural changes, significantly decreased aggregation and could no longer be activated by thrombin. This indicates that CPB affects the physiological function of platelets and counteracts primary hemostasis. Our results add platelets to the list of target cells of CPB and extend the current hypothesis of its role in the pathogenesis of C. perfringens type C enteritis
Date Issued
2017-10
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Additional Credits
Journal
Toxins
Publisher
MDPI
ISSN
2072-6651
Access(Rights)
open.access
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