RELATIONSHIP OF IMMUNE-RESPONSE TO HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN-A AND CHARACTERISTICS OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI-INFECTED PATIENTS

Heat-shock protein A (HspA) is a GroES homolog in Helicobacter pylori. Using a recombinant HspA-maltose-binding protein fusion, the serologi c responses to HspA were determined. For 139 H. pylori-uninfected pers ons, responses to HspA were low-level or absent. In a survey of 273 in fected persons, 105 (38.5%) were seropositive; there was no relationsh ip between clinical outcome of infection and HspA seropositivity. Usin g paired sera obtained from 39 subjects (mean, 7.1 years apart), the s tability of seroresponsiveness to HspA was examined, Far 34 persons th ere was no change in status between the paired sera, but 5 (20%) of 25 initially seronegative persons seroconverted. The hypothesis that Hsp A seropositivity was related to patient age was examined using sera fr om 121 asymptomatic H. pylori-infected persons. Both the HspA seroposi tivity rate and the intensity of the response rose with age. In total, these findings indicate that HspA seropositivity is not universal but may be a consequence of prolonged H. pylori infection.