T-LYMPHOCYTE RESPONSES TO HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD ANDGASTRIC-MUCOSA OF PATIENTS WITH GASTRITIS

Aim: To study T-cell mediated immunity in response to Helicobacter pyl ori infection. Methods: The CD4+ T-cell response to H. pylori was exam ined in peripheral blood and gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected gast ritis patients. Major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted C D4+ T lymphocytes were cloned by limited dilution and screened for rec ognition of different strains of H. pylori. Results: Isolated T-cell c lones were able to discriminate between cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic H. pylori strains. Conclusions: Functional and structural studies of loc al and peripheral T-cell immunity to H. pylori can provide information on the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection and may be useful in desig ning H. pylori vaccines.