Relationship between expression of HSP60, urease activity, production of vacuolating toxin, and adherence activity of Helicobacter pylori.

The relationship between the expression of heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) of Helicobacterpylori on the bacterial surface and its pathogenic factors of urease activity, production of vacuolating toxin, and adherence to human gastric carcinoma cells was examined. There was no correlation between urease activity, production of vacuolating toxin, and the expression of HSP60. However, there was a significant correlation between the adherence activity to human gastric carcinoma MKN45 cells and the expression of HSP60 (correlation coefficient; r = 0.68). In an inhibition assay with anti-HSP60 antibody, we examined the adhesion of H. pylori to MKN45 cells. The adherence of 3 of 13 H. pylori strains was inhibited by anti-HSP60 antibody. The results suggest that H. pylori HSP60 may be associated with the adhesion of H. pylori to human gastric cells.