OBJECTIVES: Clinical presentation of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has marked variation mainly due to the strain diversity and host susceptibility. Although H. pylori is identified as a major risk factor for gastric and duodenal ulcers, the ulcerogenic or pathogenic strain has not been documented yet. The objective of this study was to investigate antigenic types of the ulcerogenic strain of H. pylori. METHODS: The sera of 64 patients were tested by Western blot using Helicoblot 2.0 for six major anti-H. pylori antibodies, together with CLO test and histological examination of gastric biopsy tissues. Thirty-five, nine and 20 patients had duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer and chronic active gastritis, respectively. The antigenic types of H. pylori were analyzed in 54 patients with positive H. pylori infection. In this study, H. pylori was divided into four serotypes according to the presence and absence of CagA and VagA: type I; CagA (+) and VacA(+), type Ia: CagA (+) and VacA(-), type Ib: CagA(-) and VacA(+), and type II: CagA(-) and VacA(-). RESULTS: There was no difference in the number of bands for six antigens: 3.2 +/- 1.4, 3.0 +/- 1.2 and 3.1 +/- 1.4 in 35 duodenal ulcer, 7 gastric ulcer and 12 chronic gastritis, respectively. The band with 119 kDa was 90.7%, which was the most common band with the order of 35, 30, 26.5, 89 and 19.5 kDa. Type I, la and Ib were positive in 22.2, 42.6 and 27.8%, respectively, which were significantly higher than type II (p < 0.05). There was no difference in the positive rates of four urease subtypes between the four serotypes.
Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, Bacterial/classification* ; Antigens, Bacterial/analysis ; Blotting, Western ; Chronic Disease ; Comparative Study ; Duodenal Ulcer/pathology ; Duodenal Ulcer/microbiology* ; Duodenal Ulcer/immunology ; Gastric Mucosa/pathology ; Gastric Mucosa/microbiology ; Gastritis/pathology ; Gastritis/microbiology ; Gastritis/immunology ; Helicobacter Infections/immunology* ; Helicobacter pylori/immunology* ; Human ; Middle Age ; Serotyping ; Stomach Ulcer/pathology ; Stomach Ulcer/microbiology* ; Stomach Ulcer/immunology ; Substances: Antigens, Bacterial

We investigated the expression of CD99 in 35 hyperplastic perigastric lymph nodes, which were resected for gastric carcinoma or chronic peptic ulcer. Essentially, all lymphocytes in lymph nodes expressed CD99, but there were two populations with respect to the intensity of CD99 expression--CD99high and CD99low cells. We showed CD99high cells were distributed in paracortical and medullary cords by immunohistochemical study while germinal center cells were CD99low. Using three-color flow cytometric analysis with CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD23, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD69, CD138, IgM, IgD, and IgG, most of CD99high cells were shown to be activated/memory T cells. CD4+CD45RO+ T cells were the subset revealing the highest intensity of CD99 expression while CD4+CD45RA+ T cells were CD99low. Among B cells, IgG+ B cells revealed a higher level of CD99 molecules than IgM+ B cells. These results suggest that CD99 is one of activation-related molecules which are upregulated in recently activated lymphocytes.
Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD/analysis* ; B-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Cell Adhesion Molecules/analysis* ; Flow Cytometry ; Germinal Center/immunology ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunologic Memory/immunology* ; Lymph Nodes/immunology* ; Middle Age ; Peptic Ulcer/immunology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/immunology* ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology*

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The purpose of this study was to find out potential markers for gastric cancer. Tumor and normal tissues from 152 gastric cancer cases were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The images of silver stained gels were analyzed and statistical analysis of spot intensities revealed that spot 4262 showed higher expression (5.7-fold increase) in cancer tissues than in normal tissues (P< 0.001). It was identified by peptide mass fingerprinting as nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT). A monoclonal antibody with a detection limit down to 10 ng was produced against NNMT in mouse. Using the prepared monoclonal antibody, western blot analysis of NNMT was performed for gastric tissues from 15 gastric cancer patients and two gastric ulcer patients. The results corroborated those of 2-DE experiments. A single spot was detected in gastric ulcer tissues while four to five spots were detected in gastric cancer tissues. In cancer tissues, two additional spots of acidic and basic form were mainly detected on 2-DE gels. This suggests that NNMT receives a post-translational modification in cancer- specific manner.
Tumor Markers, Biological/isolation & purification ; Tissue Distribution ; Stomach Ulcer/metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Proteome/analysis ; *Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; Phosphorylation ; Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase/immunology/*metabolism ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice ; Humans ; Carcinoma/*metabolism ; Blotting, Western/methods ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis ; Animals

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Jianpi Qingre Huayu Recipe in curing gastric ulcer and to preliminarily probe into its pathogenic mechanism.

METHODSFifty patients with gastric ulcer of Pi -insufficiency and stasis-heat syndrome type were assigned to the treated group (30 patients) and the control group (20 patients). They were treated respectively with JQH and Ranitidine. At the same time, another group consisting of 20 healthy persons was set up for normal control. The clinical effect on gastroscopic figure and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome were observed. Changes of T-cell subsets and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in serum as well as IL-8 in mucosa around the gastric ulcer were determined before and after treatment by flow cytometry and ELISA.

RESULTSComparison of the total effective rate on gastroscopic figure in the treated group and the control group (86.7% vs 80.0%) showed insignificant difference, but the cure rate and markedly effective rate in the former (50.0% and 20.0%) was higher than that in the latter (40.0% and 15.0%) respectively. Comparison of the total effective rate on TCM syndrome in the treated group and in the control group (96.7% vs 70.0%) showed insignificant difference, but the cure rate and markedly effective rate in the former (63.3% and 23.3%) was higher than that in the latter (50.0% and 20.0%) respectively. Serum levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ got restored to normal range in the treated group after treatment but it was not so in the control group. IL-8 level in gastric mucosa was improved in both groups but the improvement in the treated group was better.

CONCLUSIONJQH could effectively treat gastric ulcer and partly reduce its recurrence through improving patients' immune function.

Adult ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; therapeutic use ; Blood Cells ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Immune System ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ranitidine ; therapeutic use ; Stomach Ulcer ; diagnosis ; immunology ; metabolism ; therapy ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo determine the influence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) on gastric cancer-related antigen MG7 expression.

METHODSThe H. pylori infection and the expression level of antigen MG7 in gastric mucosa were determined by HE stain, PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemistry in 291 patients with H. pylori-related conditions, among whom 34 were followed-up.

RESULTSNo significant difference was found between H. pylori-negative and H. pylori-positive intestinal metaplasia, atrophic gastritis and dysplasia of gastric epithelium in positive rate of antigen MG7 expression. There was significant difference between H. pylori-negative and H. pylori-positive superficial gastritis in the positive rate of MG7 expression (P < 0.05). During follow-up, one of 3 H. pylori-negative cases turned to be H. pylori-positive, and its MG7 expression turned to be higher at the same time. Three of 31 H. pylori-positive patients were discovered as having early gastric cancer, among whom one with antigen MG7 expression (+ + +) was found to have a reduced Mg7 expression accompanied with H. pylori eliminutied after operation.

CONCLUSIONThere is correlationship between H. pylori infection and MG7 expression in superficial gastritis. Although the MG7-positive lesions with H. pylori infection shows a benign nature in morphology, they also have the potential risk of developing into gastric cancer. Therefore, they should be followed up, during which special attention should be paid to patients with increased MG7 expression.

Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; biosynthesis ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Gastritis ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Helicobacter Infections ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; genetics ; growth & development ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stomach Diseases ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Stomach Ulcer ; metabolism ; microbiology

TNF-alpha is a major cytokine involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, water extract of Grifola frondosa (GFW) was evaluated for its protective effects against colon inflammation through the modulation of TNF-alpha action. In coculture of HT-29 human colon cancer cells with U937 human monocytic cells, TNF-alpha-induced monocyte adhesion to HT-29 cells was significantly suppressed by GFW (10, 50, 100 microg/ml). The reduced adhesion by GFW correlated with the suppressed expression of MCP-1 and IL-8, the major IBD-associated chemokines. In addition, treatment with GFW significantly suppressed TNF-alpha-induced reactive oxygen species production and NF-kappaB transcriptional activity in HT-29 cells. In differentiated U937 monocytic cells, LPS-induced TNF-alpha production, which is known to be mediated through NF-kappaB activation, was significantly suppressed by GFW. In an in vivo rat model of IBD, oral administration of GFW for 5 days (1 g/kg per day) significantly inhibited the trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced weight loss, colon ulceration, myeloperoxidase activity, and TNF-alpha expression in the colon tissue. Moreover, the effect of GFW was similar to that of intra-peritoneal injection of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), an active metabolite of sulfasalazine, commonly used drug for the treatment of IBD. The results suggest that GFW ameliorates colon inflammation by suppressing production of TNF-alpha as well as its signaling through NF-kappaB leading to the expression of inflammatory chemokines, MCP-1 and IL-8. Taken together, the results strongly suggest GFW is a valuable medicinal food for IBD treatment, and thus may be used as an alternative medicine for IBD.
Animals ; Cell Adhesion/drug effects/immunology ; Cell Extracts/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Chemokine CCL2/biosynthesis/genetics ; Coculture Techniques ; Colon/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Grifola ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/chemically induced/*drug therapy/pathology/physiopathology ; Interleukin-8/biosynthesis/genetics ; Intestinal Mucosa/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; Monocytes/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; NF-kappa B/genetics/metabolism ; Peroxidase/metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism ; Stomach Ulcer ; Transcription, Genetic/drug effects ; Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid/administration & dosage ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*biosynthesis/genetics ; U937 Cells ; Weight Loss