Evaluation of the effect of cagPAI genes of Helicobacter pylori on AGS epithelial cell morphology and IL-8 secretion

Helicobacter pylori cagPAI genes play an important role in pathogenesis, however little is known about their functions in isolates from Turkish patients. We aimed to evaluate the intactness and the effect of the cagPAI genes (cagT, cagM, cagE, cagA) and cagA EPIYA motifs on the AGS morphological changes and IL-8 induction. Of 53 patients 38 were found infected with H. pylori. PCR amplification of the cagPAI genes showed 42.1 % intact, 39.5 % partially deleted and 18.4 % with complete deletions. Isolates from gastritis, duodenal and gastric ulcer patients with intact and partially deleted cagPAI genes induced higher IL-8 secretion than those with complete deletions. Isolates from gastritis patients had higher deletion frequencies of the cagT and cagM genes than the other two genes. Infection of AGS cells with isolates that possess intact cagPAI and EPIYA-ABC resulted in the formation of the hummingbird phenotype. The cagA positive isolates induced higher IL-8 secretion than cagA negative isolates. Isolates from DU patients with more than one EPIYA-C motif induced higher concentrations of IL-8 than those with EPIYA-ABC. In conclusion, the intactness of the cagPAI in our isolates from different patients was not conserved. An intact cagPAI was found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of DU but not GU or gastritis. The cagA gene, but not other cagPAI genes, was associated with the induction of IL-8 and the morphological changes of the AGS cells. An increase in the number of EPIYA-C motifs had noticeable effect on the formation of the hummingbird phenotype.