Cytoskeletal rearrangements induced by Helicobacter pylori strains in epithelial cell culture - Possible role of the cytotoxin

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.