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Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, Sep 1997, 592-597, Vol 4, No. 5
J Hook-Nikanne, GI Perez-Perez and MJ Blaser
Although Helicobacter pylori is considered to be relatively homogeneous at
the phenotypic level, our aim was to describe its antigenic heterogeneity
and to examine differences in host response. Whole-cell lysates of H.
pylori strains originally isolated from persons from Africa, the People's
Republic of China, Japan, Peru, Thailand, or the United States or from
monkeys were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis. Immunoblots were performed by using sera from H.
pylori-infected persons from different areas of the world and rabbit immune
sera against H. pylori antigens. Specific H. pylori antibody responses in
persons from the United States and the People's Republic of China were
analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with antigens prepared from
U.S. or Chinese strains. Despite diverse origins, the strains showed
conserved major bands of 84, 60, 56, 31, and 25 kDa. Although there were
clear differences in minor bands, there was no obvious geographic pattern.
The anti-CagA serum recognized 120- to 140-kDa bands in cagA+ strains from
around the world. Although antigenic preparations from individual U.S. or
Chinese strains were not optimally sensitive for serologic detection of
infection in the heterologous country, use of pools of strains largely
overcame this phenomenon. We conclude that conserved H. pylori antigens
exist and are recognized by sera from persons from many parts of the world.
The heterogeneity of H. pylori antigens and the serological responses of
infected hosts is not fully explained by geographic differences. Use of
pools may allow development of antigens for serologic testing in any
country.
Copyright © 1997 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Antigenic characterization of Helicobacter pylori strains from different parts of the world
Division of Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2605, USA.
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