Correlation of T cell response and bacterial clearance in human volunteers challenged with Helicobacter pylori revealed by randomised controlled vaccination with Ty21a-based Salmonella vaccines
- T Aebischer1,
- D Bumann1,
- H J Epple2,
- W Metzger1,
- T Schneider2,
- G Cherepnev1,
- A K Walduck1,
- D Kunkel2,
- V Moos2,
- C Loddenkemper3,
- I Jiadze2,
- M Panasyuk4,
- M Stolte5,
- D Y Graham6,
- M Zeitz2,
- T F Meyer1
- 1Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- 2Medical Clinic I, Charite Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- 3Institute for Pathology, Charite Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
- 4Kazan State University, Kazan, Russia
- 5Institute for Pathology, Klinikum Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- 6Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas, USA
- Professor T F Meyer, Department of Molecular Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117 Berlin, Germany; Meyer{at}mpiib-berlin.mpg.de
- Revised 27 February 2008
- Accepted 18 March 2008
- Published Online First 16 April 2008
Abstract
Background: Helicobacter pylori remains a global health hazard, and vaccination would be ideal for its control. Natural infection appears not to induce protective immunity. Thus, the feasibility of a vaccine for humans is doubtful.
Methods: In two prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled studies (Paul Ehrlich Institute application nos 0802/02 and 1097/01), live vaccines against H pylori were tested in human volunteers seronegative for, and without evidence of, active H pylori infection. Volunteers (n = 58) were immunised orally with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi Ty21a expressing H pylori urease or HP0231, or solely with Ty21a, and then challenged with 2×105 cagPAI− H pylori. Adverse events, infection, humoral, cellular and mucosal immune response were monitored. Gastric biopsies were taken before and after vaccination, and postchallenge. Infection was terminated with antibiotics.
Results: Vaccines were well tolerated. Challenge infection induced transient, mild to moderate dyspeptic symptoms, and histological and transcriptional changes in the mucosa known from chronic infection. Vaccines did not show satisfactory protection. However, 13 of 58 volunteers, 8 vaccinees and 5 controls, became breath test negative and either cleared H pylori (5/13) completely or reduced the H pylori burden (8/13). H pylori-specific T helper cells were detected in 9 of these 13 (69%), but only in 6 of 45 (13%) breath test-positive volunteers (p = 0.0002; Fisher exact test). T cells were either vaccine induced or pre-existing, depending on the volunteer.
Conclusion: Challenge infection offers a controlled model for vaccine testing. Importantly, it revealed evidence for T cell-mediated immunity against H pylori infection in humans.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: None.
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Ethics approval: The study protocols were developed adhering to the Declaration of Helsinki, reviewed and approved by the ethical review board of the Charité, Berlin, and the studies were registered with the responsible German federal authority, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (applications nos 0802/02 and 1097/01).
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Patient consent: All volunteers were informed about the study protocol, potential risks and adverse reactions to vaccination and challenge infection before giving written consent.
