Lower circulating levels of chemokine CXCL10 in Helicobacter pylori- infected patients with peptic ulcer: influence of the bacterial virulence factor CagA

ABSTRACT

Alterations in CXCL10 [a Th1 chemokine] expression have been associated with various diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum CXCL10 levels in H. pylori- infected patients with peptic ulcer [PU], H. pylori- infected asymptomatic [AS] subjects and healthy H. pylori-negative subjects, and also to determine its association with bacterial virulence factor cytotoxin-associated gene A [CagA]. Serum samples from 90 H. pylori infected patients with PU [70 were anti-CagA[+], 20 were anti-CagA[-]], 65 AS carriers [40 were anti-CagA[+], 25 were anti-CagA[-]] and 30 healthy H. pylori-negative subjects [as a control Group] were tested for concentrations of CXCL 10 by using the ELISA method. The mean serum levels of CXCL10 in PU patients [96.64 +/- 20.85 pg/mL] were significantly lower than those observed in AS subjects [162.16 +/- 53.31 pg/mL, P < 0.01] and the control group [193.93 +/- 42.14 pg/mL, P < 0.02]. In the PU group, the serum levels of CXCL10 in anti-CagA[+] subjects was significantly higher in comparison to anti-CagA[-] patients [P < 0.04]. These results showed that the mean concentrations of CXCL10 in H. pylori-infected-PU patients was lower than AS carriers and control group. In the PU group, the serum levels of CXCL10 were associated with bacterial factor CagA