Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of the Local and Systemic Antibody Response in Mice and Humans with Helicobacter Immunity and Infection

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 179; no. 3; pp. 725 - 728
• Main Authors: Blanchard, Thomas G., Nedrud, John G., Reardon, Elizabeth S., Czinn, Steven J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University Chicago Press 01.03.1999; University of Chicago Press; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antibody Formation; Antibody production; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Bacterial Vaccines; Biological and medical sciences; Concise Communications; Dyspepsia - immunology; Dyspepsia - microbiology; Epitopes; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Gastric Mucosa - immunology; Helicobacter; Helicobacter - immunology; Helicobacter infections; Helicobacter Infections - immunology; Helicobacter pylori - immunology; Humans; Immunity; Immunization; Immunobiology; Immunoglobulin A - immunology; Infections; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Middle Aged; Peptic Ulcer - immunology; Peptic Ulcer - microbiology; Human; Immune response; Spirillales; Antibody; Digestive system; Helicobacter; Rodentia; Spirillaceae; Infection; Vertebrata; Local immunity; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Bacteriosis; Digestive diseases; Bacteria; Humoral immunity; Quantitative analysis
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/314617

Immunization can prevent or cure an otherwise chronic gastric Helicobacter infection in several different animal models. The goal of the present study was to compare the titers and specificities of local and systemic antibody responses generated by Helicobacter infection and immunization. Protective immunization results in levels of specific gastric antibody significantly lower than induced by infection. However, antibodies from protectively immunized mice preferentially recognize immunodominant proteins of 10–22 and 30 kDa. Immunoblot analysis of infected mice and humans demonstrated that the serum IgA, but not serum IgG, binding profiles yield an accurate profile of the antigenic specificity of the host's gastric IgA. Therefore, serum IgA may be useful in evaluating the immunodominant antigens at the gastric mucosa of infected persons and possibly in determining the immunogenicity of orally applied Helicobacter vaccines.