Experimental colonization of mice by fresh clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori is not influenced by the cagA status and the vacA genotype.
Developing murine models of infection by Helicobacter pylori is quite useful but not all the strains are able to colonize the mouse. In order to study the influence of the two main virulence factors, CagA and VacA, on the establishment of H. pylori in mice, we have inoculated C57BL/6 mice with 15 strains randomly chosen among clinical strains freshly isolated from biopsy specimens of infected patients and five reference strains. Only six of the clinical strains and two of the reference strains could infect the animals regardless of the cagA status and the vacA genotype. We concluded that 40% of the H. pylori strains are able to infect mice and that the capacity of colonization is not influenced by the cagA status and the vacA genotype. These factors cannot be used to predict the success of an experimental infection.
Ayraud
Sarah
S
FRE 2224, Laboratoire de Microbiologie A, CHU La Milétrie, Université de Poitiers, P.O. Box 577, 86021 Poitiers Cedex, France. sarahayraud@viola.fr
Janvier
Blandine
B
Fauchère
Jean-Louis
JL
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D023421:Models, Animal; D009154:Mutation; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D037521:Virulence Factors; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori