IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC AND VACCINE CANDIDATES OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI BY 2-DIMENSIONAL GEL-ELECTROPHORESIS, SEQUENCE-ANALYSIS, AND SERUM PROFILING

There is great interest in characterizing the proteins of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori, especially those to which humans respond immunologically, because of the potential importance of such proteins in diagnosis and vaccine development. Two-dimensional gel electrophor esis was used to separate and identify potential antigens of H. pylori ATCC 43504. Over 30 proteins were reactive in Western blots with pool ed sera from 14 infected patients. These proteins were analyzed by N-t erminal sequence analysis. Fourteen proteins were determined to be dis tinct from any proteins previously described from H. pylori; the other s were previously isolated and characterized proteins. Analysis of eig ht distinct H. pylori strains showed that most of these antigens were produced by all of the strains. We propose that collection of new anti gens such as those recognized here will be useful in serologic tests f or detecting and monitoring H. pylori infection and may also serve as potential targets for antimicrobial agent or vaccine development.