Local and systemic immune responses in murine Helicobacter felis active chronic gastritis

• Published in: Infection and Immunity Vol. 61; no. 6; pp. 2309 - 2315
• Main Authors: Fox, J.G, Blanco, M, Murphy, J.C, Taylor, N.S, Lee, A, Kabok, Z, Pappo, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-06-1993
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - biosynthesis; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; CAMPYLOBACTER; Chronic Disease; Experimental bacterial diseases and models; Female; Gastric Mucosa - microbiology; Gastric Mucosa - pathology; Gastritis - immunology; Gastritis - pathology; Helicobacter felis; Helicobacter Infections - immunology; Helicobacter Infections - pathology; Immunoglobulin G - biosynthesis; Immunoglobulin M - biosynthesis; Immunohistochemistry; Infectious diseases; Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Medical sciences; Mice; RATON; REPONSE IMMUNITAIRE; RESPUESTA INMUNOLOGICA; SOURIS; Stomach; Animal model; Immune response; Spirillales; Pathogenesis; Mucosa; Rodentia; Spirillaceae; Gastritis; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Mouse; Persistent infection; Digestive diseases; Bacteria
• ISSN: 0019-9567; 1098-5522
• DOI: 10.1128/iai.61.6.2309-2315.1993

Helicobacter felis inoculated per os into germfree mice and their conventional non-germfree counterparts caused a persistent chronic gastritis of approximately 1 year in duration. Mononuclear leukocytes were the predominant inflammatory cell throughout the study, although polymorphonuclear cell infiltrates were detected as well. Immunohistochemical analyses of gastric mucosa from H. felis-infected mice revealed the presence of mucosal B220+ cells coalescing into lymphoid follicles surrounded by aggregates of Thy-1.2+ T cells; CD4+, CD5+, and alpha beta T cells predominated in organized gastric mucosal and submucosal lymphoid tissue, and CD11b+ cells occurred frequently in the mucosa. Follicular B cells comprised immunoglobulin M+ (IgM+) and IgA+ cells. Numerous IgA-producing B cells were present in the gastric glands, the lamina propria, and gastric epithelium. Infected animals developed anti-H. felis serum IgM antibody responses up to 8 weeks postinfection and significant levels of IgG anti-H. felis antibody in serum, which remained elevated throughout the 50-week course of the study