Lower circulating levels of chemokine CXCl10 in Helicobacter pyloriinfected patients with peptic ulcer: Influence of the bacterial virulence factor CagA

Background and objectives: alterations in cxcl10 (a th1 chemokine) expression have been associated with various diseases. the aim of this study was to evaluate the serum cxcl10 levels in h. pylori-infected patients with peptic ulcer (pu),h. pylori-infected asymptomatic (as) subjects and healthy h. pylori-negative subjects,and also to determine its association with bacterial virulence factor cytotoxin-associated gene a (caga). materials and methods: serum samples from 90 h. pylori infected patients with pu (70 were anti-caga+,20 were anti-caga<sup />),65 as carriers (40 were anti-caga+,25 were anti-caga<sup />) and 30 healthy h. pylori-negative subjects (as a controlgroup) were tested for concentrations of cxcl10 by using the elisa method. results: the mean serum levels of cxcl10 in pu patients (96.64 ± 20.85 pg/ml) were significantly lower than those observed in as subjects (162.16 ± 53.31 pg/ml,p < 0.01) and the control group (193.93 ± 42.14 pg/ml,p < 0.02). in the pu group,the serum levels of cxcl10 in anti-caga+ subjects was significantly higher in comparison to anti-caga<sup /> patients(p < 0.04). conclusion: these results showed that the mean concentrations of cxcl10 in h. pylori-infected-pu patients was lower than as carriers and control group. in the pu group,the serum levels of cxcl10 were associated with bacterial factor caga.