Terminal alpha 1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine in Helicobacter pylori-associated intestinal metaplasia of the human stomach and gastric carcinoma cell lines

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2006

Authors

Ferreira, B (Author) Other; Marcos, NT (Author) Other; David L (Author) FMUP; Nakayama, J (Author) Other; Celso Reis (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry

Vol. 54

Pages: 585-591

ISSN: 0022-1554

Publisher: Histochemical Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 25 Citations

Scopus - 31 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-M09

DOI: 10.1369/jhc.5a6836.2006

Abstract (EN): Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is associated with the development of gastric lesions including gastritis, intestinal metaplasia (IM), and gastric carcinoma. in humans, Hp is found almost exclusively in the foveolar epithelium of the gastric mucosa and rarely colonizes the deeper portions where mucous cells of the glands produce mucins with terminal alpha 1, 4-GlcNAc O-glycans. This structure exerts antimicrobial activity against Hp. The development of IM in the stomach is characterized by Hp clearance from the metaplastic glands and by major alterations in the expression of mucins and mucin-carbohydrates. The present work evaluated whether terminal alpha 1,4-GlcNAc and sialyl-Tn antigen are implicated in the process of Hp clearance from metaplastic glands by analyzing the expression of these antigens in different types of IM-complete (n=12) and incomplete (n=8)-and in gastric cell lines. Terminal alpha 1,4-GlcNAc was not detected in IM except in a single foci of one case, indicating that this structure is not implicated in the clearance of Hp from IM, in contrast to what is observed in normal gastric mucosa. None of the gastric carcinoma cell lines studied showed terminal alpha 1,4-GlcNAc, suggesting that they do not display a gastric gland mucous cell phenotype and therefore are useful models for in vitro Hp studies. Finally, sialyl-Tn antigen colocalizes with MUC2 mucin and is present in all cases of complete and incomplete IM, suggesting that either or both can be implicated in Hp clearance from IM.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7