The Role of Enterococcal Virulence Factors on Experimental Amyloid Arthropathy in Chickens

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to determine the role of enterococcal virulence factors on the development of amyloid arthropathy in chickens. Enterococcus faecalis strains phenotypically variable in gelatinase, aggregation substance and cytolisine traits were inoculated intraarticularly to chickens of two weeks and intravenously to chickens of five weeks. In intraarticular inoculation groups, amyloid arthropathy occurred in 65.2% of gelatinase positive strains, 30.4% of aggregation substance positive strains and 22.2% of cytolisine positive strains. In intravenous inoculation groups, bilateral amyloid arthropathy occurred in 75% of gelatinase positive strains, 50% of aggregation substance positive strains and 26.6% of cytolisine positive strains. Gelatinase was the only virulence factor common in all E. faecalis strains causing amyloid arthropathy, and none of the gelatinase negative strains caused the amyloid arthropathy in any of the chickens in both groups. In conclusion; it was suggested that enterococcal gelatinase plays a role in the development of experimental amyloid arthropathy and the gelatinase positive E. faecalis strains may cause amyloid arthropathy which is characterized by arthritis, lameness and growth retardation.