Association of the CagA status of Helicobacter pylori and serum levels of interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 in duodenal ulcer patients.
OBJECTIVE
It has been reported that the cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA+) H. pylori strains induce severe gastric mucosal inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the virulence factor CagA with IL-17 and IL-23 serum levels in duodenal ulcer (DU) patients and H. pylori-infected asymptomatic (AS) carriers.


METHODS
In total, 45 H. pylori-infected DU patients were enrolled to study: 23 tested positive for the anti-CagA antibody (anti-CagA+) and 22 tested negative for the anti-CagA antibody (anti-CagA-), 30 were AS carriers (15 were anti-CagA+ and 15 were anti-CagA-) and 15 were healthy uninfected participants (as a control group). The IL-17 and IL-23 serum levels of participants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.


RESULTS
The mean IL-17 levels in DU patients were significantly higher than those in AS and control groups (P < 0.001 and P < 0.0001 respectively). In the DU group, the mean IL-17 levels in participants testing positive for anti-CagA (10.84 +/- 5.79 pg/mL) were significantly higher than those observed in participants testing negative for anti-CagA (7.65 +/- 4.74 pg/mL; P < 0.05). The mean IL-23 levels in the DU and AS groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.02 and P < 0.03 respectively) but were not significantly different in participants testing positive and negative for anti-CagA.


CONCLUSIONS
These results showed higher IL-17 and IL-23 serum levels in H. pylori-infected participants than in the control group. In the DU group the expression of IL-17 was influenced by the CagA factor.
Jafarzadeh
Abdollah
A
Department of Immunology, Medical School, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Rafsanjan, Iran. Jafarzadeh14@yahoo.com
Mirzaee
Vahid
V
Ahmad-Beygi
Hossain
H
Nemati
Maryam
M
Rezayati
Mohammad Taghi
MT
D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori