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. 2001 Oct;49(4):467–473. doi: 10.1136/gut.49.4.467

Post-immunisation gastritis and Helicobacter infection in the mouse: a long term study

P Sutton 1, S Danon 1, M Walker 1, L Thompson 1, J Wilson 1, T Kosaka 1, A Lee 1
PMCID: PMC1728471  PMID: 11559641

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS—Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Vaccine development is progressing but there is concern that immunisation may exacerbate Helicobacter induced gastritis: prophylactic immunisation followed by challenge with H felis or H pylori can induce a more severe gastritis in mice than seen with infection alone. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between immunity to Helicobacter infection and post-immunisation gastritis.
METHODS—(1) C57BL/6 mice were prophylactically immunised before challenge with either H felis or H pylori. Histopathology and colonisation were assessed one month post-challenge. (2) C57BL/6 mice were prophylactically immunised against H felis infection and gastritis assessed up to 18 months post-challenge.
RESULTS—Prophylactic immunisation induced a reduction in bacterial colonisation following H felis challenge which was associated with increased severity of active gastritis with neutrophil infiltration and atrophy. However, immunised mice challenged with H pylori SS1 had little evidence of pathology. Long term follow up showed that post-immunisation gastritis was evident at three months. However, from six months onwards, although immunised/challenged mice still developed gastritis, there was no significant difference between inflammation in these mice and infected controls. Post-immunisation gastritis was not associated with the serum antibody response. Immunisation prevented the formation of secondary lymphoid aggregates in the gastric tissue.
CONCLUSION—The H felis mouse model of post-immunisation gastritis is the most extreme example of this type of pathology. We have shown in this model that post-immunisation gastritis is a transient event which does not produce long term exacerbation of pathology.


Keywords: Helicobacter; immunisation; post-immunisation gastritis

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Histopathology. Photomicrographs (magnification ×148) are representative of: (A) normal mouse stomach; (B) Helicobacter felis infected stomach with moderate multifocal infiltration of lymphocytes; and (C) post-immunisation gastritis in a mouse prophylactically immunised and then challenged with H felis. The section shown portrays infiltration of lymphocytes, with severe functional atrophy and severe submucosal inflammation.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Serum levels of anti-Helicobacter antibodies following immunisation and challenge of mice with Helicobacter. Serum levels of anti-H felis and anti-H pylori IgG and IgA antibodies were assessed by ELISA; the y axis shows optical densities measured at 405 nm. p values show significant differences (Mann-Whitney analysis).

graphic file with name gut-cjsm.f1.jpg

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These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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