Sera from individuals vaccinated with a cholera toxoid were tested to determine if sera with significant titers of cholera antitoxin could neutralize Escherichia coli thermolabile enterotoxin. Individuals who responded to immunization with significant increases in serum cholera antitoxin titers also showed increases in serum E. coli enterotoxin-neutralizing capacity. These findings suggested th...

Plasmid toxin-antitoxin systems, which kill daughter cells that fail to inherit the plasmid genome, have chromosomal homologs in eubacteria and archaea. In this issue of Cell, Pederson et al. show that the E. coli RelE toxin cleaves mRNA in the ribosomal A site, potentially allowing it to function as a stress regulator during amino acid starvation.

Classical immunization protocols have produced an antibody-based humoral response that is very effective against susceptible infectious diseases. Immunization introduces an external substance to induce the host immune system to respond specifically. Typically an antigen is used, but DNA, or a primed, pre-existing leukocyte or antigen-presenting cell, can also be used. Immunization is currently ...

Antitoxin titers to heat-labile Escherichia coli enterotoxin were measured in Apache children hospitalized with acute diarrhea and in Apaches of different age groups without diarrhea in Whiteriver, Ariz. The study suggests that in this locale, exposure to enterotocigenic E. coli is probably widespread and occurs early in life. Antitoxin titer rises after idarrheal disease associated with entero...

This case describes a rare of food botulism F in 42-year-old man, which developed after he ate dried fish. The disease proceeded severe form with the development ophthalmoplegia, tetraparesis, and respiratory failure. Monovalent antitoxic serums against botulinum toxins A, B, E were administered to patient. However, on third day disease, fulminant toxic myocarditis asystole. Despite successful ...

Antibiotics are of equal importance to antitoxin in the treatment of diphtheria, as an effective antibiotic rapidly halts the production of toxin. There appear to have been only two reports of the sensitivity of diphtheria bacilli to various antibiotics and these are based on the examination of less than 60 strains. In this paper the sensitivity of 192 strains to eight representative antibiotic...