Role of Interleukin 23 Signaling in Clostridium difficile Colitis

Clostridium difficile is currently the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections in the United States. Here, we observed increased interleukin 23 (IL-23) protein levels in human colon biopsy specimens positive for C. difficile toxins, compared with levels in negative controls (P = .008) We also investigated the role of IL-23 during C. difficile infection, using 2 distinct murine models. Mice lacking IL-23 signaling had a significant increase in survival (100% [12 mice]), compared with control mice (16.7%-50% [12 mice]). These data suggest a new potential drug target for human C. difficile treatment and indicate the first link between IL-23 and disease severity during murine infection.