Experimental colonization of mice by fresh clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori is not influenced by the cagA status and the vacA genotype

• Published in: FEMS immunology and medical microbiology Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 169 - 172
• Main Authors: Ayraud, Sarah, Janvier, Blandine, Fauchère, Jean-Louis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 15.11.2002; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animals; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; cagA status; Experimental bacterial diseases and models; Female; Helicobacter Infections - microbiology; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - genetics; Helicobacter pylori - growth & development; Helicobacter pylori - isolation & purification; Helicobacter pylori - pathogenicity; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Models, Animal; Mouse colonization; Mutation; vacA genotype; Virulence Factors - genetics; Helicobacter pylori; Mouse colonization; cagA status; vacA genotype; Human; Animal model; Spirillales; Virulence; Rodentia; Spirillaceae; Infection; Toxin; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Clinical isolate
• ISSN: 0928-8244; 1574-695X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0928-8244(02)00350-4

Developing murine models of infection by Helicobacter pylori is quite useful but not all the strains are able to colonize the mouse. In order to study the influence of the two main virulence factors, CagA and VacA, on the establishment of H. pylori in mice, we have inoculated C57BL/6 mice with 15 strains randomly chosen among clinical strains freshly isolated from biopsy specimens of infected patients and five reference strains. Only six of the clinical strains and two of the reference strains could infect the animals regardless of the cagA status and the vacA genotype. We concluded that 40% of the H. pylori strains are able to infect mice and that the capacity of colonization is not influenced by the cagA status and the vacA genotype. These factors cannot be used to predict the success of an experimental infection.