Expression of nuclear factor-kappaB in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa detected with southwestern histochemistry.
BACKGROUND
The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a pivotal role in inflammatory responses by upregulating mRNA expression of, for example, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Although in vitro studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori can induce NF-kappaB activation in gastric cancer cell lines, there is little information on cellular localization of NF-kappaB in H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa.


METHODS
H. pylori-infected and -negative patients with various endoscopic findings were examined. NF-kappaB expression was studied by means of Southwestern histochemistry, a new method of localizing transcription factors. Labeled double-stranded oligo-DNA with specific consensus sequence for the NF-kappaB binding site was reacted with frozen sections from gastric biopsy specimens. We compared mucosal interleukin-8 (IL-8) and IL-1beta levels as measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with the degree of NF-kappaB expression.


RESULTS
NF-kappaB expression was often evident in nuclei of epithelial cells in H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa. The degree of NF-kappaB expression on the epithelium was significantly more severe in H. pylori-infected than in -negative mucosa. The degree of NF-kappaB expression also correlated with mucosal IL-8 levels but not with IL-8.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori infection increases the expression of NF-kappaB in gastric mucosa, suggesting that NF-kappaB is involved in inflammatory responses to H. pylori.
Isomoto
H
H
Second Dept. of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Sakamoto, Japan.
Miyazaki
M
M
Mizuta
Y
Y
Takeshima
F
F
Murase
K
K
Inoue
K
K
Yamasaki
K
K
Murata
I
I
Koji
T
T
Kohno
S
S
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology
D007375:Interleukin-1; D016209:Interleukin-8; D016328:NF-kappa B; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes