TY - JOUR
T1 - Cross-reactivity of anti-CagA antibodies with vascular wall antigens
T2 - Possible pathogenic link between Helicobacter pylori infection and atherosclerosis
AU - Franceschi, Francesco
AU - Sepulveda, Antonia R.
AU - Gasbarrini, Antonio
AU - Pola, Paolo
AU - Silveri, Nicolò Gentiloni
AU - Gasbarrini, Giovanni
AU - Graham, David Y.
AU - Genta, Robert M.
PY - 2002/7/23
Y1 - 2002/7/23
N2 - Background - Helicobacter pylori-CagA positive strains have been shown to be associated with atherosclerosis. However, the pathogenesis is still undetermined. The aim of this study was to determine whether anti-CagA antibodies cross-react with antigens of normal and atherosclerotic arteries. Methods and Results - Eight umbilical cord sections, 14 atherosclerotic artery sections, and 10 gastrointestinal tract sections were examined by immunohistochemistry using polyclonal anti-CagA antibodies. Five atherosclerotic and 3 normal artery samples were also lysed in ice-cold lysis buffer containing protease inhibitors and were immunoprecipitated using the same antibodies. Anti-CagA antibodies reacted with cytoplasm and nuclei of smooth muscle cells in umbilical cord and atherosclerotic vessel sections, cytoplasm of fibroblasts-like cells in intimal atherosclerotic plaques, and the cell membranes of endothelial cells. Anti-CagA antibodies also specifically immunoprecipitated 2 high molecular weight antigens of 160 and 180 kDa from both normal and atherosclerotic artery lysates. Conclusions - Anti-CagA antibodies cross-react with antigens of both normal and atherosclerotic blood vessels. We speculate that the binding of anti-CagA antibodies to those antigens in injured arteries could influence the progression of atherosclerosis in CagA-positive H pylori-infected patients.
AB - Background - Helicobacter pylori-CagA positive strains have been shown to be associated with atherosclerosis. However, the pathogenesis is still undetermined. The aim of this study was to determine whether anti-CagA antibodies cross-react with antigens of normal and atherosclerotic arteries. Methods and Results - Eight umbilical cord sections, 14 atherosclerotic artery sections, and 10 gastrointestinal tract sections were examined by immunohistochemistry using polyclonal anti-CagA antibodies. Five atherosclerotic and 3 normal artery samples were also lysed in ice-cold lysis buffer containing protease inhibitors and were immunoprecipitated using the same antibodies. Anti-CagA antibodies reacted with cytoplasm and nuclei of smooth muscle cells in umbilical cord and atherosclerotic vessel sections, cytoplasm of fibroblasts-like cells in intimal atherosclerotic plaques, and the cell membranes of endothelial cells. Anti-CagA antibodies also specifically immunoprecipitated 2 high molecular weight antigens of 160 and 180 kDa from both normal and atherosclerotic artery lysates. Conclusions - Anti-CagA antibodies cross-react with antigens of both normal and atherosclerotic blood vessels. We speculate that the binding of anti-CagA antibodies to those antigens in injured arteries could influence the progression of atherosclerosis in CagA-positive H pylori-infected patients.
KW - Antibodies
KW - Atherosclerosis
KW - Infection
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U2 - 10.1161/01.CIR.0000024100.90140.19
DO - 10.1161/01.CIR.0000024100.90140.19
M3 - Article
C2 - 12135941
AN - SCOPUS:0037162341
SN - 0009-7322
VL - 106
SP - 430
EP - 434
JO - Circulation
JF - Circulation
IS - 4
ER -