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1 Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland
2 Laboratorium Pathologie Oost Nederland, Enschede, The Netherlands
Correspondence
Horst Posthaus
horst.posthaus{at}itpa.unibe.ch
Received November 17, 2008
Accepted February 6, 2009
Clostridium perfringens type C-induced enteritis necroticans is a rare but often fatal disease in humans. A consistent histopathological finding is an acute, deep necrosis of the small intestinal mucosa associated with acute vascular necrosis and massive haemorrhage in the lamina propria and submucosa. Retrospective immunohistochemical investigations of tissues from a diabetic adult who died of enteritis necroticans revealed endothelial localization of C. perfringens β-toxin in small intestinal lesions. Our results indicate that vascular necrosis might be induced by a direct interaction between C. perfringens β-toxin and endothelial cells and that targeted disruption of endothelial cells plays a role in the pathogenesis of enteritis necroticans.
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