Circulating antibodies to the 60-kD heat shock protein (hsp) family in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.

Whilst the mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori causes different gastroduodenal diseases is uncertain, strains producing the cytotoxin-associated protein (CagA) have greater pathogenicity. Hsps are immunogenic molecules induced by inflammatory mediators. The aim of this study was to assess pathogenicity of hsp antibodies in H. pylori-infected patients. ELISA techniques were used to assay sera of H. pylori-positive patients with gastritis, gastric atrophy, duodenal or gastric ulcer, and H. pylori-negative controls, for antibodies to CagA and to human, mycobacterial, and in 20 sera, H. pylori (hspB) 60-kD hsp. IgA antibodies to mycobacterial hsp60 in atrophy patients were elevated compared with patients with gastritis (P < 0.05) and with H. pylori-negative controls (P < 0.0005). IgA antibodies to human hsp60 in gastric atrophy patients were elevated compared with H. pylori-negative controls (P < 0.05). Patients with atrophy (P < 0.0005) and gastritis (P < 0.05) who were CagA-positive had raised titres of anti-mycobacterial hsp60 IgA antibodies compared with controls. IgA antibody levels to hspB were positively correlated with those to mycobacterial hsp60 (mhsp60) (P < 0.05) and human hsp60 (hhsp60) (P < 0.005). IgA antibodies to hsp60 are associated with gastroduodenal disease, particularly gastric atrophy, in H. pylori-infected patients. Increased humoral responses to hsp60 could either contribute to gastric atrophy or result from greater gastric mucosal damage induced by CagA-positive strains of H. pylori.