A298 A SWITCH FROM MUC2 TRANSCRIPTION TO MUC5AC IS A COMPENSATORY MECHANISM AGAINST THE MUCOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF GIARDIA DUODENALIS

Giardia duodenalis is a diarrheagenic parasite of the small intestine characterized by acute and chronic illnesses including irritable bowel syndrome. MUC5AC mucin in the stomach and MUC2 in the intestine are normally protective against pathogens. We hypothesized that Giardia is able to disrupt this barrier by several mechanisms that may contribute to both acute and chronic disease. Muc2-/- (KO-inf) and C57BL/6 (WT-inf) mice were gavaged with...