title: Serodiagnosis of Helicobacter hepaticus infection in patients with liver and gastrointestinal diseases: western blot analysis and ELISA using a highly specific monoclonal antibody for H. hepaticus antigen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter hepaticus infection might be associated with liver and biliary tract diseases. To investigate its pathogenic role, the properties of anti-H. hepaticus serum antibody in patients with liver and diseases were elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were collected from 166 patients-69 with liver diseases, 38 with upper gastrointestinal diseases, 17 with lower gastrointestinal diseases, 26 with biliary tract diseases, and 16 with pancreas diseases; 30 control sera were obtained from 30 healthy blood donors. Serum samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot using the new monoclonal antibody HR II-51.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anti-H. hepaticus serum antibody concentrations in patients with liver disease (n = 69) were significantly increased compared with those in other disease groups (p = 0.014 to <0.001). Particularly, liver cirrhosis (n = 19) showed a significantly higher antibody level compared with other liver diseases (n = 50, p = 0.005) and healthy donors (n = 30, p = 0.0005), as well as a higher seroprevalence (68.4%) compared with other liver diseases (p = 0.05) and healthy donors (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the ELISA value in liver cirrhosis (n = 19) was significantly higher than that in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected chronic hepatitis (n = 15) (0.389 ± 0.084 vs. 0.350 ± 0.084, p = 0.029). However, there was no relationship between the total immunoglobulin concentration and the anti-H. hepaticus antibody level in each liver disease (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [rs] < 0.225).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H. hepaticus infection might play a role in the development of liver diseases; in particular, it might increase the risk of the development of HBV- and/or HCV-infected liver diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yuhu, Oita 879-5593, Japan. murakam@oita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Ryoki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tadayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okimoto
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Daijiro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Moto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujioka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D044923:Helicobacter hepaticus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal