Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin induces vacuolation of primary human mucosal epithelial cells.

We investigated whether Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin induces vacuolation in primary epithelial cells from normal human mucosa. Epithelial cells purified by enzyme digestion and elutriation were evaluated for vacuolation in a blinded protocol by light and electron microscopy before and after incubation with culture supernatant (CS) from H. pylori 60190, which has vacuolating activity for HeLa cells (Tox 1 ), and isogenic H. pylorimutant 60190-v1, which lacks this activity (Tox 2 ). Primary epithelial cells (>98% pure) exposed to CS from Tox 1 H. pylori exhibited marked vacuolation (52% 6 5% of cells) compared with epithelial cells exposedtoeitherCSfromTox 2 H.pylori(23% 63.2%)oruninoculatedcontrolbroth(23% 63.7%)(P<0.05)