lower circulating levels of chemokine cxcl10 in helicobacter pylori-infected 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 -), 65 as carriers (40 were anti- caga +, 25 were anti- caga -) and 30 healthy h. pylori -negative subjects (as a control group) 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 - 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 .