title: Different patterns of Helicobacter pylori adherence to gastric mucosa cells in children and adults. An ultrastructural study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infection with Helicobacter pylori in childhood may be the initiation of a lifelong coexistence between microorganisms and epithelial cells resulting in chronic inflammation. The adhesion pattern of H. pylori found in antral biopsies from a group of H. pylori-infected children with recurrent abdominal pain was compared with a group of H. pylori-infected adults suffering from dyspepsia, in an attempt to reveal differences in the type of adhesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The histology of antrum biopsies and the ultrastructure of adherent H. pylori in biopsies from 26 children (median age, 10.1 years) were compared with organisms in biopsies from 19 adults (median age, 54.4 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 1000 adherent H. pylori were studied and divided into four types of adhesion: 1) contact to microvilli; 2) connection to the plasma membrane via filamentous material; 3) adhesive pedestal formation; and 4) abutting or making a depression in the plasma membrane. Contact to microvilli was significantly higher (69% versus 39%; P = 0.002) in children compared with adults and comprised two-thirds of all adherent organisms in children. The more intimate adhesion types as abutting or adhesive pedestals dominated in adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate a change in contact types between H. pylori and gastric epithelial cells in adults compared with children and this may be a natural development in the lifelong infection of humans.
authors: Dept. of Virology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Blom
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gernow
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Holck
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Wewer
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Nørgaard
authors: L B
authors: LB
authors: Graff
authors: P A
authors: PA
authors: Krasilnikoff
authors: L P
authors: LP
authors: Andersen
authors: S O
authors: SO
authors: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008871:Microvilli / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000382:microbiology