NTU Undergraduates' research April 2014 - Biosciences | Página 120

Invasion Properties of Cronobacter
spp. in H4 Neonatal Intestinal Cells
Joe Fawcett

Abstract
Background
Cronobacter, formally Enterobacter sakazakii,
is a gram-negative opportunistic pathogen
known for its role in severe neonatal
infections. The strains used in this study were
isolated from an outbreak of C. sakazakii in a
neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in France
in 1994. 17 neonates were infected, with 9
cases having symptoms including severe
necrotising enterocolitis, septicaemia and one
case of meningitis resulting in 4 deaths. The
other 8 neonates were asymptomatic, but
colonised C. sakazakii was isolated from
samples taken. 8 C. sakazakii strains and 1
Enterobacter cloacae strain from the outbreak
have been included in this study. Gentamicin
invasion assays and MTT assays were carried
out to compare levels of invasion in H4 human
neonatal intestinal cells with previous studies
of the same strains on adult Caco-2 intestinal
cells.
Results
All strains tested invaded H4 cells at some
level. Some increases in invasion compared to
Caco-2 cells became noticeable due to
comparisons in length of exposure time.
Strains with the highest levels of invasion
were ID716, isolated from powder VB