title: Effects of blood group antigen-binding adhesin expression during Helicobacter pylori infection of Mongolian gerbils.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori outer membrane proteins, such as the blood group antigen-binding adhesin (BabA), are associated with severe pathological outcomes. However, the in vivo role of BabA during long-term infection is not clear. In this study, Mongolian gerbils were infected with H. pylori and necropsied continuously during 18 months. Bacterial clones were recovered and analyzed for BabA expression, Leb-binding activity, and adhesion to gastric mucosa. BabA expression was completely absent by 6 months post-infection. Loss of BabA expression was attributable to nucleotide changes within the babA gene that resulted in a truncated BabA. In response to the infection, changes in the epithelial glycosylation pattern were observed that were similar to responses observed in humans and monkeys. Furthermore, infections with BabA-expressing and BabA-nonexpressing H. pylori showed no differences in colonization, but infection with the BabA-expressing strain exhibited histological changes and increased inflammatory cell infiltration. This suggests that BabA expression contributes to severe mucosal injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine-Gastroenterology, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallström
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rugge
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: David Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnqvist
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaoka
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005849:Gerbillinae; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017421:Sequence Analysis
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; C400429:BabA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D001789:Blood Group Antigens