HELICOBACTER-PYLORI PRODUCES HISTAMINE AND SPERMIDINE

The mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori associates with the develop ment of upper gastrointestinal diseases is still not well understood. Toxic metabolites of H. pylori are discussed as possible factors. We w ere interested to investigate, whether biogenic amines might be involv ed. Ten monocultures of H. pylori from the antrum of patients with H. pylori associated diseases were analyzed for the content of the biogen ic amine histamine. The bacteria were isolated on Columbia blood agar with Skirrow's supplement in a microaerophilic environment. After thre e passages onto fresh agar plates the bacteria were harvested in their sonicated suspensions analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liq uid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC -MS). From the HPLC analysis, histamine was found in six cultures. Ana lysis with GC-MS, however, revealed the presence of histamine in all t he cultures (0.1-1.63 nmol histamine/10(8) bacteria). Additionally to histamine, all cultures were found to contain spermidine in concentrat ions of 0.010-7.912 nmol/10(8) bacteria. It is discussed that histamin e produced by H. pylori may be involved in the pathogenesis of H. pylo ri associated gastrointestinal diseases.