Helicobacter pylori environmental interactions:: effect of acidic conditions on H-pylori-induced gastric mucosal interleukin-8 production

To explore the interactions between the host, environment and bacterium responsible for the different manifestations of Helicobacter pylori infection, we examined the effect of acidic conditions on H. pylori-induced interleukin (IL)-8 expression. AGS gastric epithelial cells were exposed to acidic pH and infected with H. pylori [wild-type strain, its isogenic cag pathogenicity island (PAI) mutant or its oipA mutant]. Exposure of AGS cells to acidic pH alone did not enhance IL-8 production. However, following exposure to acidic conditions, H. pylori infection resulted in marked enhancement of IL-8 production which was independent of the presence of the cag PAI and OipA, indicating that H. pylori and acidic conditions act synergistically to induce gastric mucosal IL-8 production. In neutral pH environments H. pylori-induced IL-8 induction involved the NF-kappa B pathways, the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-> c-Fos/c-Jun -> activating protein (AP-1) pathways, JNK -> c-Jun -> AP-1 pathways and the p38 pathways. At acidic pH H. pylori-induced augmentation of IL-8 production involved markedly upregulated the NF-kappa B pathways and the ERK -> c-Fos -> AP-1 pathways. In contrast, activation of the JNK -> c-Jun -> AP-1 pathways and p38 pathways were pH independent. These results might explain the clinical studies in which patients with duodenal ulcers had higher levels of IL-8 in the antral gastric mucosa than patients with simple H. pylori gastritis.