RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANTIBODY TO CYTOTOXIN AND HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION

Broth culture supernatants from 14 (34%) our of the 41 H. pylori strai ns tested, induced vacuolization in Intestine 407 cells in titers rang ing from 1:2 to 1:64. 20% of H. pylori strains isolated from children and 42% of strains isolated from adults expressed vacuolating activity . Serum antibody to cytotoxin produced Ey H. pylori vias detected with a neutralization assay. Anticytotoxic antibodies were present in all sera from patients infected with cytotoxic H. pylori strains. The toxi n-neutralizing activity of sera from individuals infected with H. pylo ri suggests that the cytotoxin is produced in vivo.