title: Association between virulence factors of helicobacter pylori and gastric mucosal interleukin-18 mRNA expression in dyspeptic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is associated with gastritis and marked infiltration of the gastric mucosa by several cytokines secreting inflammatory cells that contribute to sustain and expand the local inflammation. Different clinical expressions of the infection may reflect distinctive patterns of cytokine expression. IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-17 and IL-23 have been reported to be involved in Hp-induced gastric mucosal inflammation, but the details and association to different patterns of inflammation and virulence factors remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total RNA was extracted from gastric biopsies of 51 Hp-infected patients and 44 Hp-negative patients. Mucosal IL-18 mRNA expression in gastric biopsies was determined by Real-Time PCR. Presence of virulence factors was evaluated using PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-18 mRNA expression was significantly increased in biopsies of Hp-infected patients compared to Hp-uninfected individuals. There was no association between virulence factors and IL-18 mRNA expression. Also severity of mononuclear infiltration was significantly higher in gastritis patients with vacA (m1)-positive compare patients with vacA (m2)-positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-18 may play an important role in the inflammatory response and promote the chronic and persistent inflammatory changes in the stomach. This may ultimately influence the outcome of Hp-associated diseases that arise within the context of gastritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.forename: Afshin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taghikhani
authors.forename: Ghorbanali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rahimian
authors.forename: Loghman
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salimzadeh
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Azadegan Dehkordi
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zandi
authors.forename: Morteza Hashemzadeh
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chaleshtori
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rafieian-Kopaei
authors.forename: Hedayatollah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shirzad
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D037521:Virulence Factors
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D020382:Interleukin-18; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C074689:VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Gastric; Helicobacter pylori; Interleukin-18