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Infection and Immunity, May 2003, p. 2693-2703, Vol. 71, No. 5
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.5.2693-2703.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Quantitative Evaluation of Inflammatory and Immune Responses in the Early Stages of Chronic Helicobacter pylori Infection

Reinhard K. Straubinger,^1, Andrea Greiter,¹ Sean P. McDonough,¹ Alexander Gerold,¹ Eugenio Scanziani,² Sabina Soldati,² Daiva Dailidiene,³ Giedrius Dailide,³ Douglas E. Berg,³ and Kenneth W. Simpson^1*

College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York,¹ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy,² Washington University Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri³

Received 12 August 2002/ Returned for modification 14 October 2002/ Accepted 10 February 2003

The early consequences of Helicobacter pylori infection and the role of bacterial virulence determinants in disease outcome remain to be established. The present study sought to measure the development of host inflammatory and immune responses and their relationship to the putative bacterial virulence factors cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI), vacA allele, and oipA in combination with bacterial colonization density in a feline model of the early stages of H. pylori infection. Gastric tissues obtained from infected and uninfected cats were evaluated for H. pylori ureB, cagPAI, vacA allele, and oipA and colonization density (urease, histology, and real-time PCR). Inflammation was assessed by measuring mRNA upregulation of gamma interferon (IFN-), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and IL-12 p40 and histopathology. The mucosal immune response was characterized by morphometric analysis of lymphoid follicles and by differentiating lymphocyte populations with antibodies against surface markers. Infecting H. pylori strains were positive for vacAs1 but lacked cagPAI and an active oipA gene. Colonization density was uniform throughout the stomach. Upregulation of IFN-, IL-1, IL-1ß, and IL-8 and increased severity of inflammatory infiltrates and fibrosis were observed in infected cats. The median number and total area of lymphoid aggregates were 5 and 10 times greater, respectively, in the stomachs of infected than uninfected cats. Secondary lymphoid follicles in uninfected cats were rare and positive for BLA.36 and B220 but negative for CD3 and CD79, whereas in infected cats they were frequent and positive for BLA.36, CD79, and CD3 but negative for B220. Upregulation of IFN-, IL-1, IL-1ß, and IL-8 and marked hyperplasia of secondary lymphoid follicles are early consequences of H. pylori infection in cats. The response appears to be similar to that of infected people, particularly children, can develop independently of the pathogenicity factors cagPAI and oipA, and is not correlated with the degree of colonization density or urease activity.

Editor: S. H. E. Kaufmann

Present address: Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

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