ATTACHMENT OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI STRAINS TO HUMAN EPITHELIAL-CELLS

The aim of the study was to characterize several clinical isolates of II. pylori as regards the activity and specificity of their haemagglut inins and the involvement of surface sialic acid-specific and heparin- binding compounds in the adhesin of the bacteria to human epithelial c ell lines. Although H. pylori strains caused haemagglutination (HA) of sheep erythrocytes, they differed markedly by activity and specificit y. On the basis of haemagglutination inhibition study three types of H . pylori strains could be distinguished. The HA of Type I strains was inhibited with fetuin/mucin but not asialofetuin/asialomucin. The HA a ctivity of Type II strains was inhibited with fetuin/mucin and asialof etuin/asialomucin. The HA of Type III strains was not influenced by an y of these inhibitors. In vitro, H. pylori strains bound to the cells of human epithelial lines: HeLa, Kato-3, Ags. However, various compoun ds mediated the binding of H. pylori types distinguished by HA, to epi thelial cells. The interaction of some of H, pylori strains with epith elial cells was mediated by bacterial sialic acid-binding compounds. T he majority of H. strains used heparin-binding surface compounds to at tach to epithelial cell. Clinical H. pylori strains differ by the comp ounds used in adhesin to epithelial cell lines, however, this process also depends on the expression of appropriate receptors on the host ce lls.