INHIBITION OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI SIALIC ACID-SPECIFIC HEMAGGLUTINATION BY HUMAN GASTROINTESTINAL MUCINS AND MILK GLYCOPROTEINS

Helicobacter pylori, a human gastric pathogen causing chronic gastriti s and duodenal ulcer disease, has been found in large amounts in gastr ic mucous gel layer. Mucin preparations, separated from human gastric juices and isolated from different colon regions, were examined for th eir ability to inhibit haemagglutination of H. pylori with the emphasi s on evaluating the role of sialic acid-dependent haemagglutinins of t he bacteria in colonisation of the stomach. The mucins showed high inh ibitory activity for H. pylori, which was significantly decreased afte r the removal of sialic acids from the mucins. The inhibitory potencie s using high molecular mass mucin-like components from bovine milk wer e comparable with those obtained for gastric mucins, suggesting their possible role in the prevention of H. pylori infection. (C) 1998 Publi shed by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.