Serodiagnosis of Helicobacter hepaticus infection in patients with liver and gastrointestinal diseases: western blot analysis and ELISA using a highly specific monoclonal antibody for H. hepaticus antigen

Background Helicobacter hepaticus infection might be associated with liver and biliary tract diseases. To investigate its pathogenic role, the properties of anti-H. hepaticus serum antibody in patients with liver and diseases were elucidated. Methods Serum samples were collected from 166 patients-69 with liver diseases, 38 with upper gastrointestinal diseases, 17 with lower gastrointestinal diseases, 26 with biliary tract diseases, and 16 with pancreas diseases; 30 control sera were obtained from 30 healthy blood donors. Serum samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot using the new monoclonal antibody HR II-51. Results Anti-H. hepaticus serum antibody concentrations in patients with liver disease (n = 69) were significantly increased compared with those in other disease groups (p = 0.014 to <0.001). Particularly, liver cirrhosis (n = 19) showed a significantly higher antibody level compared with other liver diseases (n = 50, p = 0.005) and healthy donors (n = 30, p = 0.0005), as well as a higher seroprevalence (68.4%) compared with other liver diseases (p = 0.05) and healthy donors (p = 0.004). Furthermore, the ELISA value in liver cirrhosis (n = 19) was significantly higher than that in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected chronic hepatitis (n = 15) (0.389 +/- 0.084 vs. 0.350 +/- 0.084, p = 0.029). However, there was no relationship between the total immunoglobulin concentration and the anti-H. hepaticus antibody level in each liver disease (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [rs] < 0.225). Conclusions H. hepaticus infection might play a role in the development of liver diseases; in particular, it might increase the risk of the development of HBV- and/or HCV-infected liver diseases.