Topographic study of Helicobacter pylori and HLA-DR antigen expression on gastric epithelium

Helicobacter pylori and HLA-DR antigen expression on gastric epithelium, identified by an indirect immunoperoxidase staining method using monoclonal antibodies against H. pylori and HLA-DR antigens, were studied topographically. Fifty-nine biopsy specimens from 41 patients who had neither gastric cancer nor peptic ulcers were examined. H. pylori was observed predominantly over or on the surface epithelium, while HLA-DR antigens were frequently expressed on the epithelium of the isthmus region. These observations led to the conclusion that there was no direct topographic association between H. pylori and epithelial HLA-DR expression. However, the frequency of HLA-DR expression in H. pylori-positive (28/29) specimens was significantly higher than that in H. pylori-negative (18/30) specimens (P < 0.01). Furthermore, a greater number of H. pylori was associated with a stronger expression of HLA-DR antigens (P < 0.001). We conclude that H. pylori is indirectly related to HLA-DR expression on gastric epithelium. H. pylori is the first microbial agent that has been suggested to be associated with epithelial HLA-DR expression in the human gastrointestinal tract.