Helicobacter pylori vac A genotype is a predominant determinant of immune response to Helicobacter pylori CagA

To evaluate the frequency of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) CagA antibodies in H. pylori infected subjects and to identify potential histopathological and bacterial factors related to H. pylori CagA-immune response. METHODSSystematic data to H. pylori isolates, blood samples, gastric biopsies for histological and molecular analyses were available from 99 prospectively recruited subjects. Serological profile (anti-H. pylori, anti-CagA) was correlated with H. pylori isolates (cagA, EPIYA, vacA s/m genotype), histology (Sydney classification) and mucosal interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA and protein expression. Selected H. pylori strains were assessed for H. pylori CagA protein expression and IL-8 induction in co-cultivation model with AGS cells. RESULTSThirty point three percent of microbiologically confirmed H. pylori infected patients were seropositive for CagA. Majority of H. pylori isolates were cagA gene positive (93.9%) with following vacA polymorphisms: 42.4% vacA s1m1, 23.2% s1m2 and 34.3% s2m2. Anti-CagA-IgG seropositivity was strongly associated with atrophic gastritis, increased mucosal inflammation according to the Sydney score, IL-8 and cagA mRNA expression. VacA s and m polymorphisms were the major determinants for positive (vacA s1m1) or negative (vacA s2m2) anti-CagA serological immune response, which also correlated with the in vitro inflammatory potential in AGS cells. In vitro co-cultivation of representative H. pylori strains with AGS cells confirmed functional CagA translocation, which showed only partial correlation with CagA seropositivity in patients, supporting vacA as major co-determinant of the immune response. CONCLUSIONSerological immune response to H. pylori cagA+ strain in H. pylori infected patients is strongly associated with vacA polymorphism, suggesting the crucial role of bacterial factors in immune and clinical phenotype of the infection.

AIM To evaluate the frequency of Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) Cag A antibodies in H. pylori infected subjects and to identify potential histopathological and bacterial factors related to H. pylori Cag A-immune response.METHODS Systematic data to H. pylori isolates, blood samples, gastric biopsies for histological and molecular analyses were available from 99 prospectively recruited subjects. Serological profile(anti-H. pylori, anti-Cag A) was correlated with H. pylori isolates(cag A, EPIYA, vac A s/m genotype), histology(Sydney classification) and mucosal interleukin-8(IL-8) m RNA and protein expression. Selected H. pylori strains were assessed for H. pylori Cag A protein expression and IL-8 induction in co-cultivation model with AGS cells.RESULTS Thirty point three percent of microbiologically confirmed H. pylori infected patients were seropositive for Cag A. Majority of H. pylori isolates were cag A gene positive(93.9%) with following vac A polymorphisms: 42.4% vac A s1m1, 23.2% s1m2 and 34.3% s2m2. Anti-Cag AIg G seropositivity was strongly associated with atrophic gastritis, increased mucosal inflammation according to the Sydney score, IL-8 and cag A m RNA expression. V a c A s a n d m p o l y m o r p h i s m s w e r e t h e m a j o r determinants for positive(vac A s1m1) or negative(vac A s2m2) anti-Cag A serological immune response, which also correlated with the in vitro inflammatory potential in AGS cells. In vitro co-cultivation of representative H. pylori strains with AGS cells confirmed functional Cag A translocation, which showed only partial correlation with Cag A seropositivity in patients, supporting vac A as major co-determinant of the immune response.CONCLUSION Serological immune response to H. pylori cag A + strain in H. pylori infected patients is strongly associated with vac A polymorphism, suggesting the crucial role of bacterial factors in immune and clinical phenotype of the infection.