Association of Protease Activity in Vibrio cholerae Vaccine Strains with Decreases in Transcellular Epithelial Resistance of Polarized T84 Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Culture supernatants prepared from reactogenic strains of Vibrio cholerae cause a decrease in the transcellular epithelial resistance of T84 intestinal cells. This decrease correlates with the presence of hemagglutinin/protease but not with the presence of other potential accessory toxins or proteases. These data suggest a possible role for hemagglutinin/protease in reactogenicity, although other factors may also contribute.