Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology

Volume 115, Issue 5, November 1998, Pages 1113-1122
Gastroenterology

Alimentary Tract
Lack of correlation between Lewis antigen expression by Helicobacter pylori and gastric epithelial cells in infected patients☆,☆☆,★

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-5085(98)70082-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Background & Aims: Lewis antigens are expressed by both human gastric epithelial tissue and Helicobacter pylori. We examined Lewis antigens expressed by gastric epithelium and by H. pylori isolated from the corresponding biopsy tissue. Methods: H. pylori Lewis expression was determined by enzyme immunoassays, and immunoelectron microscopy was used to confirm the Lewis antigens on some H. pylori cells and in some biopsy specimens. Histopathology using identical monoclonal antibodies specific for Lewis A, B, X, and Y antigens was used to detect these antigens in 24 gastric biopsy specimens. Results: We identified Lewis Y in 100%, Lewis X and Lewis B in 95.8%, and Lewis A in 87.5% of biopsy specimens. In H. pylori, 87.5% expressed Lewis Y, 79.2% Lewis X, and 4.2% (one strain) Lewis B. No Lewis A was detected. Antibody specific for Lewis X labeled the bacteria and associated adhesion pedestal. The cagA gene was present in 92% of strains. Conclusions: There was no direct relationship between Lewis antigen expression by H. pylori and gastric epithelial cells in infected patients. Expression of Lewis X and Lewis Y by H. pylori suggests the possibility of their requirement for establishment and/or maintenance of infection. An immunoelectron micrograph of H. pylori interaction with the gastric epithelial adhesion pedestal suggests a tentative role for Lewis X in the adhesion process.

GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;115:1113-1122

Section snippets

Bacteria and media

H. pylori strains were isolated from endoscopic biopsy specimens obtained from patients attending the University of Alberta Hospital using methods of isolation and characterization described previously by Taylor et al.13 At least 2 antral biopsy specimens were obtained from each patient, one for histopathology and the other for culture of H. pylori. All biopsy specimens examined were antral. Previous studies on biopsy specimens from the patient population at the University of Alberta Hospital,

Expression of Le antigens in gastric biopsy tissue

The expression of the various Le antigens by 24 gastric biopsy specimens determined by immunostaining using histological sections and MAbs to Lea, Leb, Lex, and Ley is shown in Table 1. The majority of gastric epithelial tissues examined (20 of 24) from biopsy specimens (83.3%) expressed all four Le antigens (Lea, Leb, Lex, Ley). A few samples of gastric epithelial tissue were found to express only two or three of the Le antigens, although all expressed Ley and only one did not express Lex. MAb

Discussion

Based on the secretor status of red blood cells, Wirth et al.12 concluded that H. pylori Le expression is related to host Le phenotype. This was based on results that patients with Le(a+b−) expressed Lex more than Ley as defined by ELISA, Le(a−b+) expressed less Lex than Ley, and isolates from Le(a−b−) expressed Lex and Ley approximately equally.

Henry et al.10 have noted in their review that “phenotyping red cells is often regarded as a simple way of determining the Lewis and sometimes the

Acknowledgements

The authors thank R.N. Fedorak and M.R. Suresh for their help and advice during this study, Q. Jiang for performing PCR analysis to determine cagA+ status of H. pylori isolates, and A. Bolivar for immunohistochemistry.

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    • Cited by (0)

    ☆

    Address requests for reprints to: Diane E. Taylor, Ph.D., Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 1-28 Medical Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada. e-mail: [email protected]; fax: (403) 492-7521.

    ☆☆

    Dr. Taylor is an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scientist.

    ★

    Supported in part by a National Cancer Institute of Canada Grant with proceeds from the Terry Fox Run (to D.E.T. and R.S.).

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    Copyright © 1998 American Gastroenterological Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.