Helicobacter Pylori
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World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2006; 12(12): 1865-1873
Published online Mar 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i12.1865
Expression of cytokeratins in Helicobacter pylori –associated chronic gastritis of adult patients infected with cagA+ strains: An immunohistochemical study
Vera Todorovic, Aleksandra Sokic-Milutinovic, Neda Drndarevic, Marjan Micev, Olivera Mitrovic, Ivan Nikolic, Thomas Wex, Tomica Milosavljevic, Peter Malfertheiner
Vera Todorovic, Neda Drndarevic, Olivera Mitrovic, Institute for Medical Research, Department for Immunohistochemistry and Electron Microscopy, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Aleksandra Sokic-Milutinovic, Tomica Milosavljevic, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Institute for Digestive Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Marjan Micev, Pathology Department, Institute for Digestive Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Ivan Nikolic, Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Serbia and Montenegro
Thomas Wex, Peter Malfertheiner, Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
Supported by a grant from Serbian Ministry for Science and Environmental Protection, No. 1752
Correspondence to: Aleksandra Sokic Milutinovic, MD, PhD, Clinical Center of Serbia, Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Koste Todorovica 6, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. asokic@eunet.yu
Telephone: + 381- 11- 3617777 - 37-34 Fax: + 381-11-361-5432
Received: July 8, 2005
Revised: July 28, 2005
Accepted: August 26, 2005
Published online: March 28, 2006
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the expression of different cytokeratins (CKs) in gastric epithelium of adult patients with chronic gastritis infected with Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) cagA+ strains.

METHODS: The expression of CK 7, 8, 18, 19 and 20 was studied immunohistochemically in antral gastric biopsies of 84 patients. All the CKs were immunostained in cagA+H pylori gastritis (57 cases), non-H pylori gastritis (17 cases) and normal gastric mucosa (10 cases).

RESULTS: In cagA+ H pylori gastritis, CK8 was expressed comparably to the normal antral mucosa from surface epithelium to deep glands. Distribution of CK18 and CK 19 was unchanged, i.e. transmucosal, but intensity of the expression was different in foveolar region in comparison to normal gastric mucosa. Cytokeratin 18 immunoreactivity was significantly higher in the foveolar epithelium of H pylori-positive gastritis compared to both H pylori-negative gastritis and controls. On the contrary, decrease in CK19 immunoreactivity occurred in foveolar epithelium of H pylori-positive gastritis. In both normal and inflamed antral mucosa without H pylori infection, CK20 was expressed strongly/moderately and homogenously in surface epithelium and upper foveolar region, but in H pylori -induced gastritis significant decrease of expression in foveolar region was noted. Generally, in both normal antral mucosa and H pylori-negative gastritis, expression of CK7 was not observed, while in about half cagA+ H pylori-infected patients, moderate focal CK7 immunoreactivity of the neck and coiled gland areas was registered, especially in areas with more severe inflammatory infiltrate.

CONCLUSION: Alterations in expression of CK 7, 18, 19 and 20 together with normal expression of CK8 occur in antral mucosa of H pylori-associated chronic gastritis in adult patients infected with cagA+ strains. Alterations in different cytokeratins expression might contribute to weakening of epithelial tight junctions observed in H pylori-infected gastric mucosa.

Keywords: cytokeratin 7; cytokeratin 8; cytokeratin18; cytokeratin19; cytokeratin20; Helicobacter pylori; Gastritis; CagA