title: Circulating antibodies to the 60-kD heat shock protein (hsp) family in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: Whilst the mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori causes different gastroduodenal diseases is uncertain, strains producing the cytotoxin-associated protein (CagA) have greater pathogenicity. Hsps are immunogenic molecules induced by inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was to assess pathogenicity of hsp antibodies in H. pylori-infected patients. ELISA techniques were used to assay sera of H. pylori-positive patients with gastritis, gastric atrophy, duodenal or gastric ulcer, and H. pylori-negative controls, for antibodies to CagA and to human, mycobacterial, and in 20 sera, H. pylori (hspB) 60-kD hsp. IgA antibodies to mycobacterial hsp60 in atrophy patients were elevated compared with patients with gastritis (P < 0.05) and with H. pylori-negative controls (P < 0.0005). IgA antibodies to human hsp60 in gastric atrophy patients were elevated compared with H. pylori-negative controls (P < 0.05). Patients with atrophy (P < 0.0005) and gastritis (P < 0.05) who were CagA-positive had raised titres of anti-mycobacterial hsp60 IgA antibodies compared with controls. IgA antibody levels to hspB were positively correlated with those to mycobacterial hsp60 (mhsp60) (P < 0.05) and human hsp60 (hhsp60) (P < 0.005). IgA antibodies to hsp60 are associated with gastroduodenal disease, particularly gastric atrophy, in H. pylori-infected patients. Increased humoral responses to hsp60 could either contribute to gastric atrophy or result from greater gastric mucosal damage induced by CagA-positive strains of H. pylori.
authors.affiliation: Inflammation Research Group, St Bartholomew's and Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Winrow
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Rampton
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Beales
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calam
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000276:immunology*; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D018834:Chaperonin 60