ASSOCIATION OF CYTOTOXIN PRODUCTION AND NEUTROPHIL ACTIVATION BY STRAINS OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS WITH PEPTIC-ULCERATION AND CHRONIC GASTRITIS
Qb. Zhang et al., ASSOCIATION OF CYTOTOXIN PRODUCTION AND NEUTROPHIL ACTIVATION BY STRAINS OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ISOLATED FROM PATIENTS WITH PEPTIC-ULCERATION AND CHRONIC GASTRITIS, Gut, 38(6), 1996, pp. 841-845
Background-Helicobacter pylori is associated with neutrophil infiltrat
ion within the gastroduodenal mucosa. Neutrophil activation provides a
major source of oxygen free radicals, which have been implicated in t
he pathogenesis of peptic ulceration. Aim-To investigate if cytotoxin
producing strains of H pylori are associated with the generation of ox
idative burst in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs).Patients-76 pati
ents undergoing endoscopy of whom 45 had peptic ulcer and 31 chronic g
astritis only were studied. Methods-Strains of H pylori were cultured
in Brucella broth. After 48 hours, bacteria were harvested by centrifu
gation and a bacterial suspension prepared as a stimulus for PMN oxida
tive burst using chemiluminescence. PMNs were prepared from healthy bl
ood donors. To test the ability of strains to produce cytotoxin, cultu
re supernatants of each were concentrated by polyethylene glycol and t
ested on cultured Vero cells for intracellular vacuolation. Results-30
of 45 (66 . 7%) peptic ulcer patients induced cell vacuolation versus
nine of 31 (29%) strains from patients with chronic gastritis only (p
<0 . 01). Cytotoxin positive strains of H pylori regardless of the pre
sence or absence of peptic ulcer displayed an increased induction of r
espiratory burst in PMNs compared with toxin negative strains from pat
ients with chronic gastritis only (p<0 . 05). Among the toxin negative
strains, those from patients with peptic ulcer did not show a signifi
cant increase of the oxidative burst than those from patients without
peptic ulcer (NS). Conclusion-Toxinogenicity of strains of H pylori se
ems to be correlated with neutrophil respiratory burst and peptic ulce
ration. The ability of some strains of H pylori to produce cytotoxin a
nd to induce the oxidative burst in neutrophils may be important in th
e pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease.