[In vitro evaluation of the safety and biological activity of recombinant Helicobacter pylori blood group antigen-binding adhesin].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and biological activity of recombinant Helicobacter pylori (Hp) blood group antigen- binding adhesin (rBabA ) in vitro so as to investigate the feasibility of using rBabA as a Hp vaccine.

METHODS

ELISA was used to measure rBabA-specific antibody in the serum of Hp-infected patients, and the proliferation of T lymphocytes in response to rBabA was examined by MTT assay. T cell apoptosis induced by rBabA was detected by diphenylamine assay. The effect of rBabA on Hp binding into human gastric carcinoma cell line(MGC-803) was determined by light microscopy.

RESULTS

rBabA did not induce T cell apoptosis in BabA antibody- negative patients and was capable of stimulating T cell proliferation in rBabA antibody-positive patients. In the serum samples from 38 Hp-infected patients, the rBabA antibody positivity rate was 18.4%. rBabA could partially inhibit the binding of Hp to gastric epithelial cells. Under light microscope, the adhesion of Hp to MGC-803 was significantly inhibited by rBabA in comparison with negative control with PBS pretreatment.

CONCLUSION

rBabA proves to be a safe and immunogenic bacterial component of Hp, which stimulates humoral and cellular immunity and can be a hopeful antigen targeting at BabA2 gene-positive Hp strain for the development of Hp vaccine.