title: Absence of Helicobacter pylori DNA in salivary lymphoepithelial lesions.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is a common cause of chronic gastritis and has been implicated as the main agent responsible for the development of lymphomas of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the stomach. An uncommon cause of salivary gland swelling is salivary lymphoepithelial lesion (SLEL), which shows histological features of acquired MALT and is associated with the development of MALT-type lymphomas. Since H. pylori has been identified in the oral cavity, we hypothesised that this organism might act as a potential antigen for the development of MALT in salivary glands. Routinely processed biopsies of 20 SLEL were screened for H. pylori DNA using a sensitive two-stage PCR technique to amplify the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Immunoglobulin heavy chain gene monoclonality was determined by amplifying the VDJ gene using a nested PCR technique. All SLEL had histological features of organised MALT and 14 cases showed Ig heavy chain gene monoclonality consistent with MALT lymphoma. None of the SLEL contained H. pylori DNA. In contrast to the putative role of H. pylori as an antigenic stimulus in gastric MALT lymphomas, it appears not to play a role locally in the development of MALT or MALT lymphomas of the salivary gland.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Diss
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Millson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Speight
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012466:Salivary Gland Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology; D045567:VDJ Recombinases
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D015820:Cadherins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D045567:VDJ Recombinases