This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Esteves, M. I. Articles by Fox, J. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Esteves, M. I. Articles by Fox, J. G.

(American Journal of Pathology. 2000;156:709-721.)
© 2000 American Society for Investigative Pathology

Animal Models

Helicobacter pylori Gastritis in Cats with Long-Term Natural Infection as a Model of Human Disease

Maria I. Esteves^*, Mark D. Schrenzel^*, Robert P. Marini^*, Nancy S. Taylor^*, Shilu Xu^*, Susan Hagen, Yan Feng^*, Zeli Shen^* and James G. Fox^*

From the Division of Comparative Medicine,^*
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and the Department of Surgery,
Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

A natural infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in domestic cats (Felis cattus) less than 2 years of age has been well described in a closed colony of animals. Six cats from this colony that were serially evaluated by culture, polymerase chain reaction, and light and electron microscopy for a period of 3 years demonstrated persistent gastric colonization with a single cag^- vac⁺ strain of H. pylori. In these cats, as well as five other 5- to 6-year-old cats that were examined, a long-term infection resulted in chronic diffuse lymphofollicular atrophic gastritis with areas of mucosal dysplasia in the antrum and predominantly midsuperficial gastritis in the body and cardia. Topographically, the distribution of lesions was similar in both young and older cats and closely resembled that found in humans, with the most severe changes occurring in the gastric antrum. Few granulocytes and no significant elevation in mast cells were seen in older H. pylori-infected cats compared with uninfected controls; however, marked increases in interepithelial globule leukocytes and numerous active mucosal lymphoid follicles were present in infected animals. Indices of gastritis were significantly greater in older infected cats when compared with uninfected controls and younger cats (P < 0.05). The antral cell proliferation index of infected older cats was significantly (P = 0.021) greater than that of uninfected controls. Apoptotic indices of the gastric antrum and body of infected cats were significantly (P = 0.01) increased versus controls. Chronic infection with H. pylori in cats shares many features of long-term H. pylori infection in humans, including the development of preneoplastic processes. This similarity provides useful, comparative insights into host-pathogen interactions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. K. Straubinger, A. Greiter, S. P. McDonough, A. Gerold, E. Scanziani, S. Soldati, D. Dailidiene, G. Dailide, D. E. Berg, and K. W. Simpson Quantitative Evaluation of Inflammatory and Immune Responses in the Early Stages of Chronic Helicobacter pylori Infection Infect. Immun., May 1, 2003; 71(5): 2693 - 2703. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Sobhani, S. Canedo, B. Alchepo, C. Vissuzaine, C. Chevalier, M. Buyse, L. Moizo, J. P. Laigneau, M. Mignon, J. M. Lewin, et al. Putative effect of Helicobacter pylori and gastritis on gastric acid secretion in cat Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, April 1, 2002; 282(4): G727 - G734. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. M. Patterson, M. D. Schrenzel, Y. Feng, and J. G. Fox Gastritis and Intestinal Metaplasia in Syrian Hamsters Infected with Helicobacter aurati and Two Other Microaerobes Vet. Pathol., November 1, 2000; 37(6): 589 - 596. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]