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Helicobacter pylori-specific Protection Against Inflammatory Bowel Disease Requires the NLRP3 Inflammasome and IL-18


Engler, Daniela B; Leonardi, Irina; Hartung, Mara L; Kyburz, Andreas; Spath, Sabine; Becher, Burkhard; Rogler, Gerhard; Müller, Anne (2015). Helicobacter pylori-specific Protection Against Inflammatory Bowel Disease Requires the NLRP3 Inflammasome and IL-18. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 21(4):854-861.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The Gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori is a constituent of the human gastric microbiota. Chronic infection with H. pylori causes gastritis and predisposes to gastric carcinoma but has also been inversely linked to various allergic and chronic inflammatory conditions. In particular, large meta-analyses have documented an inverse association between H. pylori infection and the risk of developing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. METHODS We investigated possible protective effects of experimental H. pylori infection and of regular treatment with H. pylori extract in 2 mouse models of colitis and in mouse models of type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis. The mechanism of protection was examined in mouse strains lacking specific innate immune recognition pathways and cytokines. RESULTS We show here that experimental infection with H. pylori and administration of regular doses of H. pylori extract both alleviate the clinical and histopathological features of dextran sodium sulfate-induced chronic colitis and of T-cell transfer-induced colitis. High resolution endoscopy of the protected animals revealed the accumulation of large amounts of colonic mucus upon H. pylori exposure, which could be attributed to transcriptional activation of the mucin 2 gene. The protection against dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis was dependent on the NLRP3 inflammasome and interleukin-18 signaling. Other autoimmune diseases, i.e., experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and type I diabetes, were not controlled by H. pylori. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we propose here that the immunomodulatory activity of an ancient constituent of the gut microbiota, H. pylori, may be exploited for the prevention and/or treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The Gram-negative bacterium Helicobacter pylori is a constituent of the human gastric microbiota. Chronic infection with H. pylori causes gastritis and predisposes to gastric carcinoma but has also been inversely linked to various allergic and chronic inflammatory conditions. In particular, large meta-analyses have documented an inverse association between H. pylori infection and the risk of developing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. METHODS We investigated possible protective effects of experimental H. pylori infection and of regular treatment with H. pylori extract in 2 mouse models of colitis and in mouse models of type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis. The mechanism of protection was examined in mouse strains lacking specific innate immune recognition pathways and cytokines. RESULTS We show here that experimental infection with H. pylori and administration of regular doses of H. pylori extract both alleviate the clinical and histopathological features of dextran sodium sulfate-induced chronic colitis and of T-cell transfer-induced colitis. High resolution endoscopy of the protected animals revealed the accumulation of large amounts of colonic mucus upon H. pylori exposure, which could be attributed to transcriptional activation of the mucin 2 gene. The protection against dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis was dependent on the NLRP3 inflammasome and interleukin-18 signaling. Other autoimmune diseases, i.e., experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and type I diabetes, were not controlled by H. pylori. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we propose here that the immunomodulatory activity of an ancient constituent of the gut microbiota, H. pylori, may be exploited for the prevention and/or treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.

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Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:04 Faculty of Medicine > Institute of Molecular Cancer Research
07 Faculty of Science > Institute of Molecular Cancer Research

04 Faculty of Medicine > University Hospital Zurich > Clinic for Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Dewey Decimal Classification:570 Life sciences; biology
610 Medicine & health
Scopus Subject Areas:Health Sciences > Immunology and Allergy
Health Sciences > Gastroenterology
Language:English
Date:April 2015
Deposited On:02 Apr 2015 07:23
Last Modified:26 Jan 2022 06:04
Publisher:Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISSN:1078-0998
OA Status:Green
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/MIB.0000000000000318
PubMed ID:25742401
  • Content: Published Version