CELL-SURFACE GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE ADHERENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI TO CULTURED HS 198.ST HUMAN GASTRIC CELLS, HS 746THUMAN GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA CELLS, OR HELA-CELLS

Hs 198.St cells (a line derived from normal human gastric tissue), Hs 746T cells (a line derived from human gastric adenocarcinoma), and HeL a cells were used together with H-3-labelled Helicobacter pylori, stra in NCTC 11637 to determine if cell surface glycosaminoglycans could ac t as initial receptors for adherence of the bacteria. Although as much as 40% of the H-3-labelled bacteria adhered to monolayers of the cult ured cells, removal of glycosaminoglycans by prior treatment of the ce lls with heparitinase, heparinase, or chondroitin ABC lyase had no eff ect in modifying the adherence. Prior addition of heparan sulfate, hep arin, or chondroitin/dermatan sulfate to bacteria had no effect on adh erence, nor were bacteria released when these same glycosaminoglycans or these same enzymes were added to cultures already containing adhere nt bacteria. These results indicated that neither heparan sulfate nor chondroitin/dermatan sulfate are involved as receptors in the initial adherence step of H. pylori to these cultured cells.