Mucosal lymphocyte subsets and HLA-DR antigen expression in paediatric Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis
Authors: Lopes, A. I.; Victorino, R. M. M.1; Palha, A. M.2; Ruivo, J.2; Fernandes, A.2
Source: Clinical & Experimental Immunology, Volume 145, Number 1, July 2006 , pp. 13-20(8)
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing
Abstract:
Summary Paediatric studies may provide important insights into the immunopathology of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis, as mucosal changes reflect different stages of the immunoinflammatory response. We characterized, by quantitative immunohistochemistry, gastric mucosal lymphocyte phenotype and HLA-DR antigen expression and evaluated correlation with histopathology, in H. pylori-infected (Hp+ve) and uninfected children (Hp-ve). In the infected group, lamina propria CD3+ and IgA plasmocyte cell numbers were significantly higher and a trend for predominance of CD8+ over CD4+ was observed both in epithelium and lamina propria. A correlation of inflammation score with lamina propria CD3+ and CD4+ cell numbers and of CD45RO+ T lymphocytes with density of colonization was observed. The proportion of epithelial cells expressing HLA-DR antigen was significantly higher in the Hp+ve group and furthermore, glandular HLA-DR expression correlated with lamina propria CD3+ cell numbers, emphasizing the potential role of epithelial cells as antigen-presenting cells at this stage of infection.Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; paediatric; gastritis; HLA-DR antigen expression; lymphocyte subsets
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2006.03100.x
Affiliations: 1: Clinical Immunology Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal 2: Department of Pathology, University Hospital Santa Maria and

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