Detection and verification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in fresh ileocolonic mucosal biopsy specimens from individuals with and without Crohn's disease.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is a robust and phenotypically versatile pathogen which causes chronic inflammation of the intestine in many species, including primates. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection is widespread in domestic livestock and is present in retail pasteurized cows' milk in the United Kingdom and, potentially, elsewhere. Water supplies are also at risk. The involvement of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in Crohn's disease (CD) in humans has been uncertain because of the substantial difficulties in detecting this pathogen. In its Ziehl-Neelsen staining-negative form, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis is highly resistant to chemical and enzymatic lysis. The present study describes the development of optimized sample processing and DNA extraction procedure

SUBMITTER: Bull TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC165291 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature