Infection of sabA-positive H. pylori does not induce anti-Lewis X antibody in host.
OBJECTIVE
H. pylori uses the sialic acid-binding adhesin (SabA) to recognize Lewis X (LeX) antigen of gastric epithelial cells. SabA is associated with nonopsonic activation of human neutrophils. The aims of this study were to examine the association of bacterial sabA status to the presence of anti-LeX antibody in host and the grade of gastritis.


METHODS
44 H. pylori strains cultured from gastric biopsies were examined by PCR for presence of 23SrRNA, cagA, and sabA. Serum samples were obtained from all the patients to measure the level of anti-LeX antibody. Histological grade of gastritis was graded according to the updated Sydney System.


RESULTS
23SrRNA gene and the cagA gene were seen in all the samples while 21 strains were sabA positive. The mean titer of anti-LeX antibody was 0.09 and 0.18 in patients infected with sabA-positive and -negative strain, respectively (NS). The grade of inflammatory infiltration was not significantly different between groups in both the corpus and the antral mucosa.


CONCLUSIONS
Possession of the sabA gene by infected H. pylori strain might not associate with the presence of anti-LeX antibody in the host. Possession of sabA gene by infected H. pylori might not associate with severity of gastric mucosal inflammation.
Nakasato
Fumika
F
First Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan.
Shimoyama
Tadashi
T
Yoshimura
Tetsuro
T
Mikami
Tatsuya
T
Munakata
Akihiro
A
Fukuda
Shinsaku
S
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018375:Neutrophil Activation / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000906:Antibodies; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; C500808:SabA protein, Helicobacter pylori