Persistent H. pylori colonization in early acquisition age of mice related with higher gastric sialylated Lewis x, IL-10, but lower interferon-γ expressions

BACKGROUND: H. pylori infection is less prevalent in childhood. This study validated whether the rates of H. pylori colonization depend on different acquisition ages, and correlate with the different gastric Lewis antigens or cytokine expressions after H. pylori acquisition. METHODS: We applied a young (7-day-old) C57BL/6 mice group (n = 50) and adult (6-week-old) C57BL/6 mice group (n = 50). In each group, 30 mice were challenged with H. pylori and 20 mice served as naïve control. The success of H. pylori colonization was assessed on the 2(nd )week and the 8(th )week, respectively. The intensity of the Lewis x, sialylated Lewis x(sialyl-Le(x)), and cytokine expressions, including TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-1β, were immunochemically stained and graded. RESULTS: On the 2(nd )week after H. pylori challenge, the colonization rates of H. pylori were similar between the young mice group and the adult mice group (89% vs. 100%, P > 0.05). However, on the 8(th )week, the H. pylori colonization rate was significantly lower in the young mice group than in the adult mice group (53% vs. 95%, P = 0.003). On the 8(th )week, the young mice with a persistence of H. pylori colonization had higher sialyl-Le(x), higher IL-10, and lower IFN-γ than those of the mice that lost colonization during the 2(nd )to the 8(th )week (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The persistence of H. pylori colonization could be an acquisition-age determinant process. After H. pylori exposure at an early acquisition age, the host response with a higher sialyl-Le(x )and IL-10, but a lower IFN-γ correlates to the consequent persistence of H. pylori colonization.