Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria are human pathogens causing symptomatic gastritis, peptic ulcer or gastric cancer. Little is known about the kinetics of immune responses in H. pylori infected patients because the initial moment of infection has not been identified. Various animal models are used to investigate the immune processes related to H. pylori infection. In this study we checked whether H. pylori infection in guinea pigs, mimicking natural H. pylori infection in humans, resulted in the development of specific immune responses to H. pylori antigens by measuring the proliferation of lymphocytes localized in mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen and peripheral blood. The maturity of macrophages and cytokines, delivered by monocyte-macrophage lineage or lymphocytes, were considered as mediators, which might influence the lymphocyte blastogenic response. The obtained results showed the activation of T cells localized in mesenteric lymph nodes by H. pylori antigens in H. pylori infected guinea pigs four weeks postinfection. The blastogenic activity of lymphocytes was shaped by their interaction with antigen presenting cells, which were present in the cell cultures during the whole culture period. Moreover, the balance between cytokines derived from adherent leukocytes including interleukin 8 - IL-8 as well as interferon gamma - IFN-γ, and transforming growth factor beta - TGF-β delivered by lymphocytes, was probably important for the successful proliferation of lymphocytes. The H. pylori specific lymphocytes were not propagated in peripheral blood and spleen of H. pylori infected animals. The modulation of immunocompetent cells by H. pylori antigens or their different distribution cannot be excluded.
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) have been recognized as a major cause of chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer. Macrophages are the targets of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is a constituent of the outer membrane of Gram-negative rods. In this study we focused on a potential role of macrophages in the proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) in the milieu of H. pylori LPS and standard E. coli LPS. First, we found that H. pylori and E. coli LPS induced proliferation of total PBML (tPBML) from 5 out 21 healthy blood donors (LPS responders). In the LPS milieu, tPBML from the majority of volunteers (LPS non-responders) showed a significant decrease in the [3H]-thymidine incorporation as compared to tPBML in medium alone. The decreased cell proliferation was associated with a diminished metabolic activity of non-adherent lymphocytes. Then, non-adherent lymphocytes were stimulated with autologous macrophages pulsed with bacterial LPS. Still, the lymphocytes from the non-responders did not proliferate in the cultures with LPS exposed macrophages. In the group of LPS responders, the macrophages pulsed with H. pylori LPS significantly reduced the proliferation of non-adherent lymphocytes. The possible mechanism regulating the responses of PBML to bacterial LPS with an implication for the outcome of H. pylori infections is discussed.