幽门螺杆菌空泡毒素VacA促进胃上皮细胞NLRP3炎性小体激活

目的探究H. pylori空泡毒素VacA对胃上皮细胞NLRP3炎性小体激活的影响。方法采用WT H. pylori26695和△VacA H. pylori26695感染AGS细胞,Western blotting、q RT-PCR、ELISA检测NLRP3、Pro-Caspase-1、Caspase-1、pro-IL-1β和IL-1β的表达。siRNA-NC、siRNA-NLRP3转染AGS后,分别用PBS、WT H. pylori26695和△VacA H. pylori26695刺激,qRT-PCR和细胞因子ELISA检测试剂盒分别检测pro-IL-1β的mRNA表达水平和IL-1β的蛋白表达水平。收集慢性胃炎患者标本,鉴别出H. pylori阳性患者的VacA基因型(s1m1型和s1m2型),通过q RT-PCR检测NLRP3、caspase-1、pro-IL-1β的mRNA表达水平及采用细胞因子ELISA试剂盒检测IL-1β蛋白表达水平。C57BL/6小鼠腹腔注射DMSO或者DMSO+Mcc950,H. pylori菌液灌胃,qRT-PCR和ELISA检测胃组织IL-1β的表达。结果 H.pylori感染AGS细胞,与对照组相比,WT H. pylori26695组IL-1β的mRNA和蛋白表达水平均明显升高(P0.01);△VacA H. pylori26695组与WT H. pylori26695组相比,IL-1β的m RNA和蛋白表达水平均明显下降(P0.01)。与siRNA-NC组相比,采用WT H. pylori26695和△VacA H. pylori 26695刺激转染siRNA-NLRP3的AGS细胞pro-IL-1β的m RNA水平和IL-1β蛋白表达水平均明显下调(P0.01)。H. pylori阳性患者较阴性患者NLRP3、Caspase-1和IL-1β的mRNA表达水平明显升高(P0.01);与VacA s1m2型患者相比,VacA s1m1型患者NLRP3、Caspase-1和IL-1β的mRNA表达水平显著升高(P0.01),同时IL-1β成熟分泌增加。H. pylori慢性胃炎小鼠动物模型中,与对照组相比,Mcc950组中在WT H. pylori26695和△VacA H. pylori26695灌胃后,pro-IL-1β的mRNA水平和IL-1β蛋白水平表达均明显下调(P0.01)。结论H. pylori空泡毒素VacA能够激活胃上皮细胞NLRP3炎性小体,促进IL-1β的成熟分泌。     

幽门螺杆菌空胞毒素对血小板功能的影响

目的探讨幽门螺杆菌（H pylori）空胞毒素（VacA）对血小板功能的影响。方法健康志愿者全血分离血小板,用不同浓度的VacA刺激血小板,用热灭活VacA作为对照组,观察血小板表面P-选择素的表达;采用低剂量vWF和Botrocetin刺激上述两组血小板,观察VacA对血小板凝集功能的影响。结果与对照组比较,VacA可以引起血小板表面P-选择素表达增加;增强血小板对vWF和Botrocetin刺激的凝集反应。结论VacA直接作用于血小板并引起血小板的活化。     

幽门螺杆菌VacA N端片段通过线粒体途径诱导GES-1细胞凋亡

目的:本研究初步探讨幽门螺杆菌(H.pylori)空泡毒素单一毒力决定簇对GES-1胃黏膜上皮细胞凋亡的影响,为进一步研究H.pylori的致病机制奠定基础。方法:将本课题组已构建的pDsRed-Monomer-C1/VacA N端真核表达载体转染至GES-1细胞中,Western blot鉴定VacA蛋白在细胞中的表达;电子显微镜和中性红摄取试验检测GES-1细胞的空泡样变;Hoechst33342染色、Annexin V-FITC凋亡检测试剂盒以及电镜观察细胞凋亡情况,同时采用分光光度法检测细胞Caspase-9、Caspase-3的活化程度,Rho123检测细胞跨膜电位的变化,ELISA法检测细胞色素C的释放。结果:重组质粒pDsRed-Monomer-C1/VacA转染GES-1细胞24小时后,电镜下可明显观察到空泡样变及核固缩、染色质边聚等凋亡特征,重组质粒组部分细胞发生空泡样变;Hoechst 33342染色后镜下可见明显的核染色质浓缩,Annexin V-FITC凋亡检测试剂盒检测发现重组质粒组细胞凋亡率明显高于对照组(P<0.05);Caspase-9和Caspase-3活化程度呈时间依赖性增加,分别在12小时和24小时达到峰值;Rho123染色发现线粒体跨膜电位明显降低;重组质粒转染组释放细胞色素C的浓度呈时间依赖性正相关,与空质粒组及对照组相比差异显著(P<0.05)。结论:VacA N端片段可诱导GES-1细胞凋亡及空泡样变,VacA蛋白可激活Caspase-9和Caspase-3,且可能主要通过线粒体途径诱导GES-1细胞凋亡。     

幽门螺杆菌外膜蛋白致病机制的研究进展

幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,H.pylori)长期慢性感染能够诱发胃黏膜上皮细胞炎症反应甚至癌变,黏附定植是H.pylori致病的第一步.外膜蛋白(Outer membrane protein,OMPs)是H.pylori菌黏附定植的关键蛋白,能够通过诱发宿主细胞免疫反应以及激活细胞信号转导通路...     

抗重组幽门螺杆菌VacA单克隆抗体的制备

目的 制备抗重组幽门螺杆菌致细胞空泡毒素抗原(VacA)的单克隆抗体(mAb).方法 用基因工程菌pQr30-v-DH5α大最表达重组蛋白VaeA,经Ni2+-NTA树脂纯化后,Western blot鉴定抗原性,免疫家兔后ELISA法检测血清VacA抗体鉴定其免疫原性.用重组vacA免疫Balb/c小鼠.取免疫鼠脾细胞与骨髓瘤SP2/O细胞融合,HAT选择性培养和间接EIJSA进行筛选,并检测所分泌抗体的效价和分析Ig类别.结果 获得4株能稳定分泌VacA mAb的杂交瘤细胞,能分泌IgG2b、lgM和IgG1 3类抗体,轻链均为k型.其中,IgG1 mAb经Western blot鉴定能与重组VacA发牛特异性反应.结论 应用纯化的重组VacA,成功获得了能稳定分泌幽门螺杆菌VacA单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞,并制备了单克隆抗体.为进一步研制检测VacA的试剂盒及探讨VacA的致病机制奠定了基础.     

幽门螺杆菌Cag致病岛hp0527基因的缺失株构建和鉴定

目的:构建幽门螺杆菌(H.pylori)Cag致病岛编码hp0527基因的突变株.为Cag致病岛致病机制及H.priori功能研究奠定基础.方法:利用基因同源重组方法将卡那霉素抗性基因(KanR)连接到PCR扩增hp0527两端区域产生的2个目的基因片段之间,构建hp0527基因缺失的自杀质粒pBlueKM40-△hp0527;将带有卡那霉素抗性标志的缺失突变载体,通过抗生素卡那霉素筛选出缺失hp0527基因的突变株,并经PCR方法鉴定后,采用野生株和突变株的幽门螺杆菌分别与胃癌上皮细胞BGC-823共培养后,分析它们对细胞毒素相关蛋白CagA转运能力的影响.结果:成功构建出幽门螺杆菌hp0527基因突变的自杀质粒,突变载体经内切酶酶切分析显示:产生的条带与设计结果完全一致;抗生素筛选并经PCR鉴定后,获得了hp0527基因缺失株;CagA蛋白转运分析表明基因hp0527缺失前后,可以导致细菌转运CagA蛋白能力的丧失.结论:成功构建出1株缺失hp0527基因的H.pylori突变株,对于阐明该基因的功能及其在H.pylori致病中的地位及作用具有重要的研究价值.     

幽门螺杆菌与Th细胞应答的研究进展

幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori,H.pylori)感染是慢性胃炎、消化性溃疡及胃赫膜相关淋巴组织淋巴瘤(MALT)等疾病的重要致病因子,与胃癌的发生密切相关,全世界大约有50%的人感染幽门螺杆菌.目前研究认为CD4+T细胞应答对于幽门螺杆菌感染的致病及免疫保护都具有重要的作用.     

H. pylori Escape Host Immunoreaction Through Inhibiting ILK Expression by VacA

Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori） persistently colonizes the gastric mucosa despite a vigorous immune response. Vacuolating cytotoxin secreted by H. pylori has turned out to be a potent immunomodulatory toxin, but the signal transduction pathways involved has not been studied in macrophages. We observed in this study that vacA-deficient H. pylori induced significantly higher expression of integrin-linked kinase （ILK） and endothelial nitric oxygen synthase （eNOS）, and significantly more production of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in monocyte/macrophage-like U937 cells, as compared with isogenic vacA^＋ H. pylori. The expression of eNOS mRNA in U937 cells overexpressing ILK was markedly increased compared with those transfected with empty vectors. Thus, vacA-deficient H. pylori appears to upregulate ILK expression, which modulates the expression of eNOS and as a result, stimulates the production of ROS. It is VacA that prevents such a process by inhibiting ILK expression, helping H. pylori escape host immunoreaction. This mechanism explains, at least in part, persistent infection of H. pylori in the stomach.     

新疆地区汉族人群感染幽门螺杆菌vacA亚型分布特征

幽门螺杆菌(Helicobacter pylori, Hp)毒素相关蛋白基因(cagA)和细胞空泡毒素基因(vac4)是Hp的重要致病基因[1],本研究对新疆地区汉族慢性浅表性胃炎、慢性萎缩性胃炎、胃溃疡、胃癌患者感染Hp的vacA基因型进行测定,探讨新疆地区汉族人群Hp vacA基因型分布及与胃疾病的关系.     

Detection of serum antibodies to CagA and VacA and of serum neutralizing activity for vacuolating cytotoxin in patients with Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis.

Thirty patients with dyspepsia, with histological diagnosis of gastritis, and with endoscopic diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) (n = 13) or nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD) (n = 17) were admitted to the study. Helicobacter pylori vacuolating cytotoxin-producing strains (Tox+) were isolated from 14 (46.7%) patients, whereas non-cytotoxin-producing (Tox-) H. pylori strains were isolated from the remaining patients. Of 30 patients studied, 20 (66.7%) had serum cytotoxin neutralizing activity in vitro. Fourteen patients with Tox+ H. pylori strains showed serum cytotoxin neutralizing activity and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA antibodies reactive with both 87-kDa H. pylori vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA) and 128-kDa cytotoxin-associated gene product (CagA) by immunoblotting using native enriched preparations of VacA and CagA proteins from H. pylori culture supernatants as the antigens. A 94-kDa antigen cross-reacting with the 87-kDa VacA protein could be demonstrated in culture supernatant with immune sera from humans and animals. All patients (n = 10) lacking serum neutralizing activity were also negative for IgG or IgA against VacA antigen, whereas 6 of the 10 patients showed IgG serum antibody responses against CagA antigen. The prevalence of antibodies to VacA and CagA antigens was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in patients with gastritis (20 and 26 patients for VacA and CagA, respectively, of 30 patients) than in H. pylori culture-negative controls (0 of 27 for both VacA and CagA) and in randomly selected blood donors (17 and 21 for VacA and CagA, respectively, of 120 subjects). All patients with PUD had antibodies to CagA, whereas 13 of 17 (76.5%) patients with NUD had anti-CagA antibodies. Serum IgG antibodies to VacA were present in 9 (69.2%) patients with PUD of 13 patients and in 11 (64.7%) patients with NUD of 17 patients. Anti-CagA antibodies seemed to correlate better with PUD than anti-VacA antibodies.     

Effect of Helicobacter pylori on gastric epithelial cell migration and proliferation in vitro: role of VacA and CagA.

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with inflammation of the gastric mucosa and with gastric mucosal damage. In this study, we sought to test the hypothesis that two H. pylori virulence factors (VacA and CagA) impair gastric epithelial cell migration and proliferation, the main processes involved in gastric mucosal healing in vivo. Human gastric epithelial cells (MKN 28) were incubated with undialyzed or dialyzed broth culture filtrates from wild-type H. pylori strains or isogenic mutants defective in production of VacA, CagA, or both products. We found that (i) VacA specifically inhibited cell proliferation without affecting cell migration, (ii) CagA exerted no effect on either cell migration or proliferation, and (iii) undialyzed H. pylori broth culture filtrates inhibited both cell migration and proliferation through a VacA- and CagA-independent mechanism. These findings demonstrate that, in addition to damaging the gastric mucosa, H. pylori products may also impair physiological processes required for mucosal repair.     

Prevalence of serum antibodies to Helicobacter pylori VacA and CagA and gastric diseases in Chile

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori CagA and VacA proteins and correlate this prevalence with gastric diseases in colonised Chileans. The study was performed in 418 adults colonised with H. pylori: 316 with gastroduodenal pathology (152 duodenal ulcer, 14 gastric cancer and 150 gastritis patients) and 102 asymptomatic subjects. Serum IgG antibodies to H. pylori were determined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Antibodies to VacA and CagA proteins were detected by Western blotting. In a subgroup of the patients, the vacuolating activity was determined by HeLa cell assay and the CagA product was confirmed by PCR assay. IgG antibodies to both VacA and CagA proteins of H. pylori were found in 270 (85%) of 316 colonised gastric patients and in 72 (71%) of 102 asymptomatic subjects. Colonisation with virulent strains was significantly higher among duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer patients than in gastritis patients or asymptomatic subjects. Infections with VacA+/ CagA+ H. pylori strains is common in Chile but, in contrast to some Asian countries, this phenotype was more prevalent in isolates from patients with more severe gastric pathologies.     

New serological assay for detection of putative Helicobacter pylori virulence factors

We evaluated a new immunoblot assay (Helicoblot 2.1) for Helicobacter pylori infection and CagA and VacA status by using serum samples from 222 patients. The test accurately detected H. pylori infection and VacA status, but improvements in the interpretation criteria are required before it can be recommended for determination of CagA status.     

Polymorphisms in the intermediate region of VacA impact Helicobacter pylori-induced disease development

Helicobacter pylori is the etiological agent of diseases such as gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and two types of gastric cancers. While some insight has been gained into the etiology of these diverse manifestations, by and large, the reason that some individuals develop more severe disease remains elusive. Recent studies have focused on the roles of H. pylori toxins CagA and VacA on the disease process and have suggested that both toxins are intimately involved. Moreover, CagA and VacA are polymorphic within different H. pylori strains, and particular polymorphisms seem to show a correlation with the development of particular disease states. Among VacA polymorphisms, the intermediate region has recently been proposed to play a major role in disease outcome. In this article, we describe a detailed sequence analysis of the polymorphic intermediate region of vacA from strains obtained from a large South Korean population. We show that polymorphisms found at amino acid position 196 are associated with more severe disease manifestations. Additionally, polymorphisms found at amino acid position 231 are linked to disease in strains that carry the non-EPIYA-ABD allele of CagA. Collectively, these data help explain the impact of the VacA intermediate region on disease and lead to the hypothesis that there are allele-driven interactions between VacA and CagA.     

Antibody against Helicobacter pylori CagA and VacA and the risk for gastric cancer.

AIM: Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastric cancer. Our aim was to investigate whether CagA or VacA seropositivity provides additional risk for gastric cancer. METHODS: Sera from 110 gastric cancer patients were sex and aged matched with asymptomatic controls. H pylori status was determined by IgG enzyme immunoassay (HM-CAP EIA); CagA status was assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (OraVax) and immunoblotting (Chiron), and VacA status by immunoblotting using recombinant proteins as antigens. RESULTS: H pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 4.1). Subgroup analysis showed a significant association with intestinal type (OR = 2.94, 1.35 to 6.41), distal type (OR = 2.97, 1.39 to 6.33), early gastric cancer (OR = 3.74, 1.54 to 9.06), and age < or = 55 years (OR = 8.33, 2.04 to 34.08), but not with diffuse type (OR = 0.83), proximal type (OR = 1.0), advanced gastric cancer (OR = 1.13), or age > 55 years (OR = 1.40). Serum CagA IgG and VacA antibody positivity was present in similar proportions in patients with and without cancer, with no significant differences in histological classification, clinical stage, or location (p > 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: H pylori infection causes chronic gastritis and is associated with the development of gastric cancer. Neither CagA nor VacA seropositivity added additional information or stratification.     

Role of activated protein C in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis

The protein C (PC) pathway has recently been suggested to play a role in the regulation of the inflammatory response. To further extend the anti-inflammatory effect of activated PC (APC) in vivo, particularly its biological relevance to human disease, the activity of APC in the mucosa of patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis and the effect of vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA), cytotoxin-associated antigen (CagA), and H. pylori lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on PC activation were evaluated. This study comprised 35 patients with chronic gastritis. There were 20 patients with and 15 without H. pylori infection. The levels of PC and APC-PC inhibitor (PCI) complex were measured by immunoassays. The level of PC was significantly decreased and the level of APC-PCI complex was significantly increased in biopsy specimens from gastric corpus and antrum in patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis as compared to H. pylori-negative subjects. The concentrations of VacA, CagA, and LPS were significantly correlated with those of the APC-PCI complex in biopsy mucosal specimens from the gastric corpus and antrum. H. pylori LPS, VacA, and CagA induced a dose-dependent activation of PC on the surface of monocytic cells. APC inhibited the secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) induced by H. pylori LPS. Overall, these results suggest that H. pylori infection is associated with increased APC generation in the gastric mucosa. The inhibitory activity of APC on TNF-alpha secretion may serve to protect H. pylori-induced gastric mucosal damage.     

Cholesterol depletion reduces Helicobacter pylori CagA translocation and CagA-induced responses in AGS cells

Infection with Helicobacter pylori cagA-positive strains is associated with gastritis, ulcerations, and gastric cancer. CagA is translocated into infected epithelial cells by a type IV secretion system and can be tyrosine phosphorylated, inducing signal transduction and motogenic responses in epithelial cells. Cellular cholesterol, a vital component of the membrane, contributes to membrane dynamics and functions and is important in VacA intoxication and phagocyte evasion during H. pylori infection. In this investigation, we showed that cholesterol extraction by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin reduced the level of CagA translocation and phosphorylation. Confocal microscope visualization revealed that a significant portion of translocated CagA was colocalized with the raft marker GM1 and c-Src during infection. Moreover, GM1 was rapidly recruited into sites of bacterial attachment by live-cell imaging analysis. CagA and VacA were cofractionated with detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), suggesting that the distribution of CagA and VacA is associated with rafts in infected cells. Upon cholesterol depletion, the distribution shifted to non-DRMs. Accordingly, the CagA-induced hummingbird phenotype and interleukin-8 induction were blocked by cholesterol depletion. Raft-disrupting agents did not influence bacterial adherence but did significantly reduce internalization activity in AGS cells. Together, these results suggest that delivery of CagA into epithelial cells by the bacterial type IV secretion system is mediated in a cholesterol-dependent manner.     

Virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori

To date a number of virulence factors have been identified and characterised from the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. The vacuolating toxin (VacA) is a major determinant of H. pylori-associated gastric disease. In non-polarised cells, VacA alters the endocytic pathway, resulting in the release of acid hydrolases and the reduction of both extracellular ligand degradation and antigen processing. The toxin forms trans-membrane anion-specific channels and reduces the transepithelial electrical resistance of polarized monolayers. Localization of the VacA channels in acidic intracellular compartments causes osmotic swelling which, together with membrane fusion, leads to vacuole formation. The neutrophil-activating protein of H. pylori (HP-NAP) induces the production of oxygen radicals in human neutrophils via a cascade of intracellular activation events which may contribute to the damage of the stomach mucosa. This protein has recently been shown to be an important antigen in the human immune response to H. pylori infection. In addition, mice vaccinated with recombinant HP-NAP were protected against H. pylori challenge. H. pylori strains that are associated with severe tissue damage and inflammation possess the cag pathogenicity island that contains several genes encoding factors involved in the induction of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines and of a type IV secretion system involved in the delivery of a highly immunogenic protein, CagA, into eukaryotic cells. Recent advances in our understanding of the involvement of VacA, HP-NAP and the CagA/Type IV secretion system in the H. pylori-associated disease process are discussed in this review.     

Two-year follow-up of Helicobacter pylori infection in C57BL/6 and Balb/cA mice

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric adenocarcinoma and MALT lymphoma. We previously found high-grade lymphoma after 13 months' H. pylori infection in C57BL/6 mice. In this study we followed H. pylori infection by three different isolates in C57BL/6 and Balb/cA mice for 23 months. Six-week-old C57BL/6 and Balb/cA mice were infected with H. pylori strains 119p (CagA+, VacA+), SS1 (CagA+, VacA+) and G50 (CagA-, VacA-). Mice were followed at 2 weeks, 10 weeks and 23 months post-inoculation (p.i.) by culture, histopathology and serology. Strain G50 was only reisolated from mice 2 weeks p.i. There was no difference in colonization between strain 119p and SS1 at 10 weeks p.i., whereas SS1 gave 100% colonization versus 119p gave 50% 23 months p.i. Interestingly, the inflammation score was higher in mice infected with strain 119p than with SS1 10-week p.i., and there were lymphoepithelial lesions in mice infected with strain 119p and G50 but not with SS1 at 23 months post-infection. Eight mice infected with strains 119p and G50 developed gastric lymphoma (grade 5 and 4). One C57BL/6 mouse infected with strain 119p developed hepatocellular carcinoma after 23 months. Immunoblot showed specific bands of 26-33 kDa against H. pylori in infected mice, and two mice infected with strain SSI reacted with antibodies to the 120 kDa CagA toxin. Conclusion: A reproducible animal model for H. pylori-induced lymphoma and possibly hepatocellular carcinoma is described. Strain diversity may lead to different outcomes of H. pylori infection.