Understanding the Role of Internalin A and Internalin B in Listeria Monocytogenes Infection and Their Correlation with E-cad and C-met Receptors in the Intestine of Diarrhea Patients

Abstract Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that may cause diarrhea in healthy people, meningitis in the immunocompromised, and abortion in pregnant women. L . monocytogenes uses surface proteins called internalin A (InlA) and internalin B (InlB) to invade human’s intestinal epithelial cells. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of InlA and InlB in L . monocytogenes infections and their correlation with E-cad and C-met receptors in diarrhea patients using the ligated rabbit intestinal loop model. Materials and Methods: Two intestinal loops in live rabbit were constructed surgically. The first intestinal loop was injected by 1 mL of 10 7 colony forming unit (CFU)/mL of L . monocytogenes , and the second intestinal loop was injected by 1 mL of phosphate-buffered saline as a control. Results: InlA was significantly expressed in L . monocytogenes injected into the rabbit intestinal loop (fold—3.966) compared to control (fold—1.002) ( P -value 0.001). Also, the expression levels of InlA receptor, E-cad were significant in the rabbit intestinal tissue injected by L . monocytogenes (fold—4.022) compared to control (fold—1.0621) ( P -value 0.003). Furthermore, InlB was significantly expressed in L . monocytogenes injected into the rabbit intestinal loop (fold—4.8835) compared to control (fold—1.0007) ( P value 0.027). Also, the expression levels of InlB receptor, C-met were significant in the intestinal tissue injected by L . monocytogenes (fold—4.1341) compared to control (fold—1.0171) ( P value 0.002). Conclusion: This study proposes a valuable strategy for understanding the host-pathogen interaction and the virulence of L . monocytogenes in the context of infection.