The pathogenesis of necrotic proliferative colitis in swine is linked to whipworm induced suppression of mucosal immunity to resident bacteria

Mucohemorrhagic enteritis syndrome in swine has a complex etiology with largely unknown pathogenesis. We have observed that inoculation of pigs with swine whipworm, Trichuris suis, initiates an interaction with resident bacterial flora to induce mucohemorrhagic enteritis, The role of bacteria in this mixed infection was demonstrated using 4 treatment groups. One group of pigs was inoculated with 2500 embryonated T. suis eggs alone, while a second group received T. suis eggs along with broad spectrum antibiotic treatment. Two other control groups of pigs were uninoculated and were either treated with antibiotic or untreated. Pigs inoculated with T. suis eggs exhibited diarrhea, mucosal edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, bacterial accumulation at the site of worm attachment in the proximal colon, and intestinal adenomatosis associated with the intracellular Ileal symbiont intracellularis bacteria. In addition, enlarged lymphoglandular complexes (LGCs) containing numerous extracellular bacteria, eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils were observed in the distal colon. The other group of pigs that was inoculated with T. suis but treated with antibiotics had lesions localized to the site of worm attachment and histologically normal LGCs with no invasive bacteria in the distal colon. The groups of uninoculated pigs, with or without antibiotic treatment, exhibited no pathology or bacterial invasion. It appears that the complex pathogenesis of necrotic proliferative colitis in pigs may be linked to worm induced suppression of mucosal immunity to resident bacteria. Further, the association between bacteria, lymphocytes and macrophages in the LGCs of pigs infected with T. suis suggests an antigen-processing role for these structures in the colon. Further, the complex pathogenesis of necrotic proliferative colitis in pigs may be linked to worm induced suppression of mucosal immunity to resident bacteria.