M. Ashorn et al., Cytoskeletal rearrangements induced by Helicobacter pylori strains in epithelial cell culture - Possible role of the cytotoxin, DIG DIS SCI, 45(9), 2000, pp. 1774-1780
The relationship between Helicobacter pylori adherence, cytotoxin productio
n, and modification of the cytoskeletal structure was investigated by study
ing the effects of 12 H. pylori strains cocultured with Hep-2 epithelial ce
lls. Bacterial strains were isolated from patients with peptic ulcer diseas
e or nonulcer dyspepsia. Presence of the cag pathogenicity island and vacA
subtypes of the strains were determined as was the production of vacuolatin
g cytotoxin. We found that cytoskeletal rearrangements, as observed by conf
ocal microscopy after double staining of the bacteria and the cell actin wi
th Texas red and fluorescein-conjugated phalloidin, respectively, occurred
essentially when the strains were cytotoxin producers and that the supernat
ants alone could also lead to these modifications.