Interaction of Helicobacter pylori-induced follicular gastritis and autoimmune gastritis in BALB/c mice with post-thymectomy autoimmune gastritis.
BACKGROUND
There is still controversy about the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and autoimmune gastritis. The aim of this study was to clarify whether or not H. pylori infection interacts with the development of autoimmune gastritis.


METHODS
Neonatally thymectomized BALB/c mice with autoimmune gastritis received orally administered H. pylori and were examined histologically and serologically. The T-helper (Th)1/Th2 immune balance in the microenvironment of the stomach was evaluated by reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for interferon (IFN)-gamma and interleukin (IL)-4.


RESULTS
Uninfected mice showed disappearance of parietal cells, and upregulation of IFN-Gamma, but no germinal center formation. The infected neonatally thymectomized mice showed follicular gastritis, preserved parietal cells, decreased serum anti-parietal antibodies, and upregulation of IL-4 and IFN-gamma.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori infection changes the microenvironment of the gastric mucosa by inducing a Th2 immune response in addition to a Th1 response, and regresses autoimmune gastritis in neonatally thymectomized BALB/c mice.
Okazaki
Kazuichi
K
Department of Endoscopic Medicine and Gastroenterology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
Ohana
Masaya
M
Oshima
Chikashi
C
Uchida
Kazushige
K
Nishi
Toshiki
T
Iwano
Masahiro
M
Fukui
Toshiro
T
Kawasaki
Kimio
K
Matsuura
Minoru
M
Asada
Masanori
M
Tamaki
Hiroyuki
H
Hiai
Hiroshi
H
Chiba
Tsutomu
T
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013934:Thymectomy
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma