title: Regulation of Helicobacter pylori Virulence Within the Context of Iron Deficiency.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori strains that harbor the oncoprotein CagA increase gastric cancer risk, and this risk is augmented under iron-deficient conditions. We demonstrate here that iron depletion induces coccoid morphology in strains lacking cagA. To evaluate the stability of augmented H. pylori virulence phenotypes stimulated by low-iron conditions, H. pylori isolated from iron-depleted conditions in vivo were serially passaged in vitro. Long-term passage decreased the ability of hypervirulent strains to translocate CagA or induce interleukin 8, indicating that hypervirulent phenotypes stimulated by low-level iron conditions are reversible. Therefore, rectifying iron deficiency may attenuate disease among H. pylori-infected persons with no response to antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Noto
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
authors.forename: Josephine Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gaddy
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Cover
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Manuel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amieva
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University.
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Peek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D005849:Gerbillinae; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016209:Interleukin-8; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori
keywords: CagA; Helicobacter pylori; gastric cancer; iron deficiency