Abstract
Infectious diseases are a threat to elderly individuals, whose immune systems weaken with age. Among the various infectious diseases, Clostridium difficile infection is associated with a high rate of mortality in elderly individuals and is a serious health problem worldwide, owing to the increasing infection rates. Probiotic use has been proposed as an effective countermeasure for C. difficile infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis T-110 on intestinal immunity, intestinal flora, and intestinal infections, especially C. difficile infections, in naturally ageing animals, for extrapolating the results to elderly human subjects. Twenty female hamsters were randomly distributed into two groups. Group 1 was fed a basal diet and group 2 was fed a basal diet supplemented with heat-killed E. faecalis for 7 days. Heat-killed E. faecalis T-110 improved the gut immunity and microflora, especially Clostridium perfringens and C. difficile, in naturally aged hamsters. Therefore, heat-killed E. faecalis T-110 use may be a countermeasure against age-related immune dysfunction and intestinal infections, especially C. difficile infection, in elderly humans. However, further investigation in this regard is needed in humans.
Highlights
Infectious diseases are a leading cause of mortality and significant morbidity in elderly individuals, who are at a greater risk than younger individuals [1]
The total immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration in faeces was significantly higher in group 2 than that in group 1 on day 7 (Table 3)
The results of the present study suggest that the use of antimicrobials in combination with heat-killed Enterococcus faecalis T-110 for C. difficile infection can reduce the amount of antimicrobials used
Summary
Infectious diseases are a leading cause of mortality and significant morbidity in elderly individuals, who are at a greater risk than younger individuals [1]. Among the various infectious diseases, Clostridium difficile infection is a social problem in elderly individuals. Clostridium difficile produces a toxin that results in symptoms ranging from mild diarrhoea to inflammation of the bowel (pseudomembranous colitis), which can cause death. Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea is a severe form of diarrhoea in humans. There are three key risk factors associated with the development of this infection: antibiotic use [7], ageing [8], and hospitalisation [9].
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