title: The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection and dietary iron deficiency on host iron homeostasis: a study in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori, which requires iron to survive, may cause host iron deficiency by directly competing with the host for available iron or by impairing iron uptake as a consequence of atrophy-associated gastric hypochlorhydria. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of H. pylori infection and dietary iron deficiency on host iron homeostasis in a mouse model.
  
  
  METHODS
  H. pylori SS1-infected and uninfected C57BL/6 mice, fed either a normal diet or an iron-deficient diet, were assessed for iron status and infection-associated gastritis over a 30-week period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 10 weeks, serum ferritin values were higher in H. pylori-infected mice than in uninfected controls, irrespective of dietary iron intake (p = .04). The infection-related increase in body iron stores persisted in the iron-replete mice but diminished over time in mice with restricted dietary iron intake (p < .0001). At 30 weeks serum ferritin levels were lower in these animals (p = .063). No significant difference in bacterial numbers was detected at the 30-week time point (p > .05) and the histological changes observed were consistently associated with infection (p < .01) and not with the iron status of the mice (p = .771).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection with H. pylori did not cause iron deficiency in iron-replete mice. However, diminished iron stores in mice as a result of limited dietary iron intake were further lowered by concurrent infection, thus indicating that H. pylori competes successfully with the host for available iron.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Christchurch, New Zealand. jacqui.keenan@chmeds.ac.nz
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Frampton
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Walmsley
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Allardyce
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roake
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron