Vaccine-mediated protection against helicobacter pylori is not associated with increased salivary cytokine or mucin expression

Abstract

Background: The development of an effective vaccine against Helicobacter pylori is impeded by the inability to reliably produce sterilizing immunity and our lack of knowledge regarding mechanisms of protective immunity against this pathogen. It has previously been described that salivary glands are essential for vaccine-mediated protection against H. pylori, but the mechanism responsible for this effect has not been identified. In this study we tested the hypothesis that vaccines reduce H. pylori colonization by inducing an immune-mediated change in salivary gland mucin secretion. Materials and methods: Sublingual and submandibular salivary glands were removed from untreated mice, from mice ..