Role of Microbiota and Innate Immunity in Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection

Figure 1

Commensal Clostridia have a peculiar role in modulating gut homeostasis. Establishing a close relationship with gut cells (interfold region), Clostridia spp. exert a strong influence on the host immune system. On the other hand, C. difficile and its toxins lead to the production of multiple proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines including IL-12, IL-18, interferon g (IFN-g), IL-1b, TNF-a, macrophage inflammatory protein 1 a (MIP-1a), MIP-2, IL-8, and leptin [66]. These factors can exacerbate the inflammation and may be responsible for host damage and many of the histopathological features of C. difficile-associated diseases.