FIG. 1.

Apoptosis of T84 cells after 48 h of coculture with VacA⁺/cag PAI⁺ H. pylori strains. Confluent T84 monolayers were incubated for 48 h with three different H. pylori strains, CCUG 17874, G21, and 60190, and morphological hallmarks of apoptosis were analyzed by electron microscopy. (a) Control untreated T84 cells. (b) T84 cells after 48 h of coculture with the VacA⁺/cag PAI⁺ 60190 strain, displaying brush border disorganization, cytoplasmic shrinkage, and chromatin condensation. (c) T84 cells infected with the wild-type VacA⁺/cag PAI⁺ CCUG 17874 H. pylori strain, showing morphological apoptotic features. (d) Coculture (48 h) with the wild-type VacA⁻/cag PAI⁻ G21 strain, showing the lack of induction of numerous apoptotic features in T84 cells.