Adherence of Helicobacter pylori to gastric carcinoma cells: analysis by flow cytometry

An in vitro assay using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry for quantitative assessment of the adherence of Helicobacter pylori to cultured human gastric carcinoma (KATO III) cells was developed. Adherence was rapid, saturable, energy dependent, mannose resistant, and significantly inhibited by fetuin, a glycoprotein containing N-acetylneuraminyllactose. Pretreatment of KATO cells with neuraminidase from Clostridium perfringens, however, did not reduce adherence of H. pylori. Ultrastructurally, adherent cells of H. pylori were associated with indentations of KATO cell membranes. KATO cells should prove useful in the investigation of mechanisms of adherence of H. pylori to mammalian cells. Ultimately, this flow cytometric assay may be helpful in assessment of the adherence of laboratory strains of H. pylori directly to surface mucous cells dissociated from biopsied human gastric tissue.