FIG. 5.

Immunized mast cell-deficient mice have reduced levels of IL-17 and TNF-α in the gastric mucosa 2 weeks after challenge. Immunized and unimmunized wild-type (WT) and mast cell-deficient (Kit) mice were challenged with H. pylori. In one experiment, real-time PCR analysis was performed with the mice that were evaluated at 2 weeks postchallenge for the presence of IL-17 (a) and TNF-α (b) expression in the gastric mucosa. Values obtained for challenged mice are expressed as relative units indicating the increase (n-fold) over the level for naïve control samples. Each group contained 10 mice. Error bars indicate standard deviations from the means. ***, P < 0.001 (compared to all other groups).