C. perfringens challenge reduces matrix metalloproteinase activity in the jejunal mucosa of Eimeria-infected broiler chickens

Table 1 Score distribution of necrotic enteritis lesions in the small intestine of 21-day old broilers

Group	Segment	Lesion score^a						NE positive^b	Average lesion score^c
Group	Segment	0	2	3	4	5	6	NE positive^b	Average lesion score^c
Control	Duodenum	26	0	0	0	0	0	0% (0/26)	–
	Jejunum	26	0	0	0	0	0	0% (0/26)	–
	Ileum	26	0	0	0	0	0	0% (0/26)	–
	Overall							0% (0/26)	–
Type A (JIR 4857)	Duodenum	27	0	0	0	0	0	0% (0/27)	–
	Jejunum	27	0	0	0	0	0	0% (0/27)	–
	Ileum	27	0	0	0	0	0	0% (0/27)	–
	Overall							0% (0/27)	–
Type G (CP56)	Duodenum	85	11	6	4	1	0	20.56% (22/107)^A	2.77^C
	Jejunum	19	7	15	46	18	2	82.24% (88/107)^B	3.92^D
	Ileum	89	6	5	6	0	1	16.82% (18/107)^A	3.17^C
	Overall							85.05% (91/107)	3.91

All birds were challenged with a ten-fold dose of a live attenuated Eimeria vaccine at day 14 and 16 to induce a predisposing coccidiosis infection. On day 18, 19 and 20, birds were challenged with either a pathogenic C. perfringens type G strains (CP56), a commensal C. perfringens type A strain (JIR4857) or sterile bacterial culture medium (control).
^aNE lesion scoring of the small intestine was performed as previously described by Keyburn et al. [28].
^bNE positive = lesion score ≥ 2.
^cAverage lesion score of NE positive birds. Data represents mean ± SE.
^dMeans within the same column with different superscripts differ significantly (p < 0.05); ^{A, B} binary logistic regression analysis or ^{C, D} one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test.

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