Immune response to heat shock protein of Helicobacter pylori--a candidate as a vaccine component.

. The reactive epitope of heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) of Helicobacter pylori to its monoclonal antibody (H9) was determined, and its synthesized peptide designated pH9 was used for ELISA. The patients with H. pylori infection had significantly lower titers of pH9 antibody than did uninfected patients. In C57BL/6 mice immunized intraperitoneally with the pH9 peptide with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), the number of H. pylori organisms colonizing the stomach was significantly lower than that in mice immunized with FCA only. These results suggest that HSP60 of H. pylori is effective in protection against H. pylori infection and might be a good candidate as a vaccine component.