The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the liver depends on the Th1, Th17 and Treg cytokine profile of the patient

Abstract

The hypothesis that Helicobactermight be a risk factor for human liver diseases has arisen after the detection of Helicobacter DNA in hepatic tissue of patients with hepatobiliary diseases. Nevertheless, no explanation that justifies the presence of the bacterium in the human liver has been proposed. We evaluated the presence of Helicobacterin the liver of patients with hepatic diseases of different aetiologies. We prospectively evaluated 147 patients (106 with primary hepatic diseases and 41 with hepatic metastatic tumours) and 20 liver donors as controls. Helicobacter species were investigated in the liver by culture and specific 16S rDNA nested-polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing. Serum and hepatic levels of representative cytokines of T regulatory cell, T helper (Th)1 and Th17 cell lineages were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The data were evaluated using logistic models. Detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in the liver was independently associated with hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus, pancreatic carcinoma and a cytokine pattern characterised by high interleukin (IL)-10, low/absent interferon-&#947; and decreased IL-17A concentrations (p < 10-3). The bacterial DNA was never detected in the liver of patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and autoimmune hepatitis that are associated with Th1/Th17 polarisation. H. pylori may be observed in the liver of patients with certain hepatic and pancreatic diseases, but this might depend on the patient cytokine profile

Evolution of correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and autoimmune liver disease

“…When HP is observed to be positive in patients with AILD, its concentration may be increasing and plenty of CagA may have transferred to the epithelial cells of gastric mucosa accordingly. The signaling pathway downstream of cells is thus activated resulting in aggravation of infection symptoms, thereby, inducing cellular immune response (15). When an AILD patients is in certain condition of immune tolerance, his/her defense capability would be reduced.…”

Helicobacter pyloriinfection does not promote hepatocellular cancer in a transgenic mouse model of hepatitis C virus pathogenesis

“…82 may also depend on the immune response of the human host and/ or H. pylori virulence factors such as CagA or VacA. 10,33,34 Since H. pylori SS1, used in the current study, appears to have a nonfunctional cag pathogenicity island, additional studies are needed in order to investigate the role of the H. pylori cag pathogenicity island in liver cancer. 35 It is important to note that enterohepatic Helicobacter spp.…”

Extragastric Manifestations of Helicobacter pylori Infection

“…In an interesting Brazilian study of Silva et al [43], the authors evaluated the association between the presence of H. pylori in the liver biopsy specimens determined by PCR and the etiology and stage of hepatic disease and the cytokine pattern (ELISA) displayed by the patients. This prospective study was carried out on 147 patients (106 pts with primary hepatic diseases and 41 with metastatic tumors) and 20 liver donors as controls.…”