[Assessment of the response of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes on Helicobacter pylori infection in children].

Abstract

In the study the proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PBML) from children with chronic dyspepsia (chr. d) to H.p. antigens was investigated. From 38 children aged 7-18, with chr. d., blood was collected just before upper GI endoscopy. Twenty one patients were found to be H.p. (+). PBML were used for the cultures and were stimulated with heat-killed H.p. G27 bacteria, heated and unheated glycine extract (GE) of H.p. G27 or with H.p. LPS containing Lewis X and Lewis Y determinants, in the presence or absence IL-2. The cell proliferation was estimated on the basis of [3H] - thymidine incorporation. In the cultures, the phenotype of responding cells was determined by an EIA with monoclonal antibody to human CD3, CD4 and CD8. PBML from patients H.p. (-), responded to killed H.p. bacteria and to heated GE more frequently and more intensively than PBML from the H.p.(+). IL-2 enhanced PBML response to these antigens. Unheated GE did not induce PBML proliferation even in the cultures with IL-2. LPS alone induced proliferation of PBML from 3 patients (2 H.p. - and 1 H.p.+). However, in the presence of IL-2, LPS induced proliferation of PBML from 15 patients. In the cultures of PBML stimulated with whole bacteria or heated EG, T cells dominated. In the cultures of PBML from H.p. (+) we found a higher percentage of CD8 cells in comparison with the cultures of PBML from H.p. (-). Data demonstrate a significant variation in the response of PBML from dyspeptic children to H.p. antigens.