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Helicobacter pylori adheres selectively to Fusobacterium spp
R N Andersen1, N Ganeshkumar, P E Kolenbrander
1Oral Infection and Immunity Branch, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4350, USA.
Oral Microbiology and Immunology
|May 9, 1998
Summary
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) selectively coaggregates with oral fusobacteria, suggesting dental plaque may harbor this stomach pathogen. Lactose and heat treatment revealed specific bacterial interactions.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Oral Biology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Helicobacter pylori is a significant human pathogen primarily associated with gastric infections.
- The potential for H. pylori to colonize extragastric sites, such as the oral cavity, remains an area of investigation.
- Bacterial coaggregation plays a role in the formation of polymicrobial communities and biofilm development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the coaggregation potential between Helicobacter pylori strains and various oral bacteria.
- To identify specific bacterial species or groups that interact with H. pylori in vitro.
- To explore the mechanisms underlying H. pylori interactions with oral flora.
Main Methods:
- Coaggregation assays were performed between H. pylori ATCC 43504 and ATCC 43629 and 79 bacterial strains from 16 genera, predominantly of human oral origin.
- The effect of lactose on coaggregation was assessed.
- Heat treatment of bacterial cells was used to probe the nature of the interaction.
Main Results:
- H. pylori demonstrated selective coaggregation exclusively with fusobacteria, particularly subspecies of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Fusobacterium periodonticum from dental plaque.
- Coaggregation was not observed with non-plaque Fusobacterium species (F. mortiferum, F. ulcerans).
- Lactose partially or completely inhibited coaggregation, and heat treatment of fusobacteria abolished their coaggregating ability, suggesting a fusobacterial adhesin and H. pylori receptor.
Conclusions:
- Fusobacteria, especially those from dental plaque, are potential binding partners for H. pylori in the oral cavity.
- These findings support the hypothesis that dental plaque could serve as a reservoir for H. pylori outside the stomach.
- The specific adhesin-receptor interaction suggests a mechanism for oral colonization by H. pylori.