Critical Role for MyD88-Mediated Neutrophil Recruitment during Clostridium difficile Colitis

Abstract

ABSTRACTClostridium difficilecan infect the large intestine and cause colitis when the normal intestinal microbiota is altered by antibiotic administration. Little is known about the innate immune signaling pathways that marshal inflammatory responses toC. difficileinfection and whether protective and pathogenic inflammatory responses can be dissociated. Toll-like receptors predominantly signal via the MyD88 adaptor protein and are important mediators of innate immune signaling in the intestinal mucosa. Here, we demonstrate that MyD88-mediated signals trigger neutrophil and CCR2-dependent Ly6Chimonocyte recruitment to the colonic lamina propria (cLP) during infection, which prevent dissemination of bystander bacteria to deeper tissues. Mortality is markedly increased in MyD88-deficient mice followingC. difficileinfection, as are parameters of mucosal tissue damage and inflammation. Antibody-mediated depletion of neutrophils markedly increases mortality, while attenuated recruitment of Ly6Chimonocytes in CCR2-deficient mice does not alter the course ofC. difficileinfection. Expression of CXCL1, a neutrophil-recruiting chemokine, is impaired in the cLP of MyD88−/−mice. Our studies suggest that MyD88-mediated signals promote neutrophil recruitment by inducing expression of CXCL1, thereby providing critical early defense againstC. difficile-mediated colitis.