The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the liver depends on the Th1, Th17 and Treg cytokine profile of the patient.
The hypothesis that Helicobactermight be a risk factor for human liver diseases has arisen after the detection of Helicobacter DNA in hepatic tissue of patients with hepatobiliary diseases. Nevertheless, no explanation that justifies the presence of the bacterium in the human liver has been proposed. We evaluated the presence of Helicobacterin the liver of patients with hepatic diseases of different aetiologies. We prospectively evaluated 147 patients (106 with primary hepatic diseases and 41 with hepatic metastatic tumours) and 20 liver donors as controls. Helicobacter species were investigated in the liver by culture and specific 16S rDNA nested-polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing. Serum and hepatic levels of representative cytokines of T regulatory cell, T helper (Th)1 and Th17 cell lineages were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The data were evaluated using logistic models. Detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the liver was independently associated with hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus, pancreatic carcinoma and a cytokine pattern characterised by high interleukin (IL)-10, low/absent interferon-γ and decreased IL-17A concentrations (p < 10(-3)). The bacterial DNA was never detected in the liver of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and autoimmune hepatitis that are associated with Th1/Th17 polarisation. H. pylori may be observed in the liver of patients with certain hepatic and pancreatic diseases, but this might depend on the patient cytokine profile.
Laboratório de Pesquisa em Bacteriologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Luciana Diniz
LD
Silva
Andreia Maria Camargos
AM
Rocha
Gifone Aguiar
GA
Rocha
Sílvia Beleza
SB
de Moura
Márcia Maria Negreiros Pinto
MM
Rocha
Renato
R
Dani
Fabrício Freire
FF
de Melo
Juliana Becattini
JB
Guerra
Lúcia Porto Fonseca
LP
de Castro
Guilherme Santiago
GS
Mendes
Teresa Cristina de Abreu
TC
Ferrari
Agnaldo Soares
AS
Lima
Dulciene Maria Magalhães
DM
Queiroz
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
D016207:Cytokines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal