Local and systemic immune responses in murine Helicobacter felis active chronic gastritis.
Helicobacter felis inoculated per os into germfree mice and their conventional non-germfree counterparts caused a persistent chronic gastritis of approximately 1 year in duration. Mononuclear leukocytes were the predominant inflammatory cell throughout the study, although polymorphonuclear cell infiltrates were detected as well. Immunohistochemical analyses of gastric mucosa from H. felis-infected mice revealed the presence of mucosal B220+ cells coalescing into lymphoid follicles surrounded by aggregates of Thy-1.2+ T cells; CD4+, CD5+, and alpha beta T cells predominated in organized gastric mucosal and submucosal lymphoid tissue, and CD11b+ cells occurred frequently in the mucosa. Follicular B cells comprised immunoglobulin M+ (IgM+) and IgA+ cells. Numerous IgA-producing B cells were present in the gastric glands, the lamina propria, and gastric epithelium. Infected animals developed anti-H. felis serum IgM antibody responses up to 8 weeks postinfection and significant levels of IgG anti-H. felis antibody in serum, which remained elevated throughout the 50-week course of the study.
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
J G
JG
Fox
M
M
Blanco
J C
JC
Murphy
N S
NS
Taylor
A
A
Lee
Z
Z
Kabok
J
J
Pappo
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M