Immunity against Helicobacter pylori:: Significance of interleukin-4 receptor α chain status and gender of infected mice

Vaccination of interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor alpha (IL-4R alpha) chain-deficient BALB/c mice with Helicobacter pylori urease and cholera toxin or with urease-expressing, live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium cells revealed that protection against H. pylori infection is independent of IL-4- or IL-13-mediated signals. A comparison of male and female mice suggests a sexual dimorphism in the extent of bacterial colonization that is particularly evident in the absence of the IL-4R alpha chain.