Frequency of occurrence of Campylobacter pylori and analysis of the systemic and local immune response.
During gastroduodenoscopic examination of 225 patients, bioptic mucosal specimens were taken for bacteriological and histological examination (Table 1). Campylobacter (C.) pylori was isolated from 7 out of 9 patients (78%) with gastric ulcer, from 59 out of 60 (98%) with duodenal ulcer, from 24 out of 31 (77%) with gastric erosions, from 10 out of 10 (100%) with duodenitis, from 14 out of 16 (88%) with chronic active gastritis, from 40 out of 73 (55%) with chronic inactive gastritis and from none out of 26 patients (0%) with normal mucosa (Table 2). To study the immune response an ELISA was developed which proved to give well reproducible and specific test results (Fig. 1). IgA- and IgG-titres were strongly reduced after absorption with C. pylori, but not with other antigens (including C. jejuni and C. coli, Table 3). Some sera gave reactions at higher titres when tested with the patient's own strain than with the standard antigen which is a mixture of 4 strains (Table 4). This indicates differences of the antigen composition within the species C. pylori. Sera from patients with positive culture showed higher IgG- and IgA-titres than sera from patients without isolation of C. pylori. The IgM-titres, however, were comparable in both groups (Fig. 3). Partially, sera from patients without C. pylori also showed high IgG-titres which were positively correlated with the patient's age. About 60% of culturally positive patients had specific IgA in their gastric juice, whereas this was not so with patients without isolation of C. pylori (Fig. 6). Examination of sera from healthy children and blood donors revealed that IgG but not IgA or IgM rose significantly with increasing age (Figs. 7-9). As can be concluded from the results of cultural and serological tests, C. pylori seems to be responsible at least for a part of cases of gastritis and peptic ulcer.
Hygiene Institute, University of Vienna.
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Hirschl
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D004382:Duodenitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins