Clostridium difficile toxin A causes severe intestinal inflammation and fluid secretion in rabbit
ileum and is chemotactic for neutrophils in vitro. The mechanism of intestinal injury produced
by toxin A appears to involve direct epithelial cell damage as well as recruitment of an
inflammatory cell response. The current study was undertaken to determine if toxin A can
directly stimulate a proliferative response in lymphocytes. Highly purified toxin A, in the
presence of the calcium ionophore, ionomycin, stimulated substantial [3 H] thymidine …