title: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in mice with oral administration of egg yolk-driven anti-UreC immunoglobulin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori, the causative agent of gastritis and gastric ulcer, plays a crucial role in development of gastric carcinomas. Antibiotic therapy fails in almost 20% of cases due to development of antibiotic resistance. Development of antibodies against specific H. pylori targets could have significant therapeutic effect. In the present research attempts have been made to study the effect of IgY purified from egg yolk of hens immunized with recombinant UreC in treatment of mice infected with H. pylori.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purified IgY-HpUc was used in two forms: powdered and PBS dissolved. 10(9) bacteria in BHI were orally administered to C57BL6/j mice three times on alternate day intervals. Eight weeks after the last inoculation, the serum was assayed for infection rate by ELISA. The severity of gastritis was analyzed histopathologically. Infected mice were randomly divided into three groups. Groups one and two were treated with dietary IgY-HpUc and IgY-HpUc dissolved in PBS respectively for 28 days. The untreated group served as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serology and histopathology confirmed the establishment of the infection. Indirect ELISA results in the treated animals showed considerable reduction of H. pylori specific antibodies in their sera. Pathological examination of gastric mucosa of infected mice treated with IgY-HpUc showed considerable reduction of inflammation in the stomach tissues. The bacterial presence on mucosal layer of the stomach was considerably reduced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UreC-induced IgY is specifically successful in inhibition of H. pylori infection and could be an alternative to antibiotic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ziba V
authors.initials: ZV
authors.lastname: Malekshahi
authors.forename: Seyed Latif Mousavi
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gargari
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rasooli
authors.forename: Walead
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ebrahimizadeh
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004530:Egg Yolk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C016512:IgY; D007136:Immunoglobulins