Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived vesicles important in intercellular communication that play an essential role in host-pathogen interactions, spreading pathogen-derived, as well as host-derived molecules during infection. Pathogens can induce changes in the composition of EVs derived from the infected cells and use them to manipulate their microenvironment and, for instance, modulate innate and adaptive inflammatory immune responses, both in a stimulatory or suppressive manner. Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide and infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is considered the main risk factor for developing this disease, which is characterized by a strong inflammatory component. EVs released by host cells infected with H. pylori contribute significantly to inflammation, and in doing so promote the development of disease.
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative, microaerophilic, spiral bacterium, which colonizes the epithelium of the human stomach [1]. H. pylori infection is one of the most common infectious diseases, affecting approximately 50% of the world’s population [2]. Infection rates differ according to geographic region, remaining higher in developing countries (>85%) [3]. The prevalence of H. pylori infection is associated with low socioeconomic status and poor sanitary conditions, which are considered risk factors [4]. The most likely route of transmission is oral-fecal, especially through contaminated food [5]. In the last three decades, the incidence of H. pylori infection has remained constant or even increased due to population growth, re-infection and increasing antibiotic resistance [6]. H. pylori was described for the first time by Warren and Marshall in biopsies from patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration [7]. Numerous studies have identified H. pylori as the principal etiologic agent associated with the development of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and gastric cancer [8]. Recently, H. pylori has also been associated with diseases outside the gastrointestinal tract, such as, immune thrombocytopenic-purpura, iron-deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, neurodegenerative disorders and metabolic syndrome [9]. H. pylori colonization of the human stomach and its role as a bacterial carcinogen is a complex process involving communication between host cells, the microorganism and the host environment [10]. In the initial phase of infection, H. pylori neutralizes the acidic environment of the stomach by liberating urease, which hydrolyzes urea to generate carbon dioxide and ammonia [11] that neutralize the acidic microenvironment surrounding the bacteria [12]. In addition, ammonia produces various alterations in host cells by affecting vesicular membrane transport, protein synthesis and ATP production, among others [11]. Moreover, urease activity regulates H. pylori-macrophage interactions, by modulating the phagosome pH and megasome formation, which are necessary for H. pylori survival [12]. H pylori has 4–8 flagella and chemotaxis receptors which it uses to colonize the stomach lining and reach epithelial cells [13]. Colonization by H. pylori leads to inflammation and neutrophil infiltration [13][14]. The flagellar filament of H. pylori is mainly composed of the structural proteins FlaA, and FlaB [12]. These flagellins are the first targets of antibodies generated by the host adaptive immune response [13]. However, flagellins, particularly FlaA, are not recognized by toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) [15][16]. This ability of H. pylori to evade the immune system, contributes to the persistence of the bacteria in the gastric epithelium [13]. H. pylori attaches to the gastric epithelium by producing adhesins, which interact with host cell receptors [12]. These specific interactions protect the bacteria from displacement by forces produced during peristalsis, leading to successful and persistent infection [11][12]. After colonization, virulence factors, such as cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA), cause further damage to the host epithelium and may increase the risk of gastric disease [10]. The cag pathogenicity island (cagPAI) is a region of the bacterial chromosome, coding CagA and the Cag type IV secretion system (T4SS), which are detectable in more virulent H. pylori strains [10]. Accordingly, the presence of cagPAI has been associated with higher levels of inflammation in the stomach [11]. CagA is an oncoprotein produced in the cytoplasm of the bacteria, which is then injected into host cells via the T4SS [12][17]. Once in the cytoplasm, CagA localizes to the inner surface of the plasma membrane where it is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues by c-SRC and c-ABL kinases [10]. CagA then can modify host cell signaling in multiple ways, such as by activating PI3K/AKT [18], Wnt/-catenin [19] and MAPK/ERK signaling [10]. CagA also modulates cell adhesion and migration by binding to the phosphatase SHP-2 [12][20]. Other effects include the alteration of epithelial cell polarity and the dysregulation of apical-junctional complexes [10][21]. In addition, CagA activates NF-κB-dependent inflammatory signaling and interleukin-8 (IL-8) production in infected gastric cells [10][22]. This leads to recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages, which further increases the release of cytokines, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and growth factors[23][22]. This microenvironment results in chronic inflammation, which promotes tumorigenesis [22]. VacA contains p33 and p55 protein subunits, which combine to generate an oligomeric complex [12] that forms selective anion channels in the host cell membrane and can release bicarbonate and organic anions into the host cytoplasm [12][24]. In this way, VacA aids H. pylori survival by inducing a flow of metabolic substrates from the mucosa to the stomach lumen [25]. This produces changes in the permeability of the plasma membrane and disrupts gastric epithelium cell integrity [12]. VacA also forms channels in the membranes of endosomes and mitochondria [24][26]. Moreover, VacA internalizes into cells via endocytosis, affecting endosomal maturation, among others [12][25]. In late endosomal compartments, these anion selective channels cause an increase in osmotic pressure, resulting in the formation of vacuoles [25][26][27]. In mitochondria, VacA induces changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome C leading to apoptosis [25][28]. In addition to its cytotoxic properties, VacA acts as an immunosuppressor by inhibiting the development, activation and proliferation of T cells [10][29], as well as preventing antigen presentation by MHC class II molecules in B cells [25]. Moreover, VacA delays phagocytosis, inhibiting phagosome maturation in macrophages [25][30]. All H. pylori strains contain genes coding for VacA; however, there are multiple alleles that confer variations in vacuolation capacity [10][31]. Studies reveal that VacA in allelic variant s1/m1 and s1/m2 strains is associated with more severe chronic inflammation than for other genotypes [25]. H. pylori is an established group 1 carcinogen and presence of the bacteria is therefore linked to carcinogenesis [32]. Stomach or gastric cancer is a multifactorial and heterogeneous disease, whereby gastric adenocarcinoma (glandular origin) represents the most common histological type (~90%) of all neoplasms originating in the stomach [33][34]. Other less common variants of gastric cancer include lympho-proliferative, mesenchymal and neuroendocrine tumors [33]. Gastric adenocarcinoma is preceded by progressive changes in the gastric mucosa, beginning with non-atrophic gastritis, triggered primarily by H. pylori, followed by multifocal atrophic gastritis, which advances to intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and finally invasive carcinoma [35][36]. This cascade of precancerous lesions describes a human model of intestinal-type gastric carcinogenesis, which is the major gastric adenocarcinoma subtype and represents 60% of all cases [34][37]. This intestinal-type gastric cancer is characterized by the presence of tumor cells that are arranged in irregular tubular or glandular structures [38]. The oncogenic effects of H. pylori in epithelial cells are attributed either directly to the toxic action of the virulence factors described above, and/or indirectly to inflammatory processes produced by the infection [39]. Gastritis caused by H. pylori infection is characterized by infiltration of the lamina propria with mononuclear leukocytes (chronic inflammation) and polymorphonuclear cells (acute inflammation) [36]. The immune response triggered by infection is both of the innate and adaptive type [36][39]. T helper-1 (Th1) cells and their signature cytokines, IL-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and particularly interferon (IFN), are essential for the development of gastritis [36][40]. Recruited neutrophils and macrophages produce large amounts of ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) [39][41]. This results in an increase in oxidative stress, which causes DNA damage [39]. Loss of normal glandular tissue, or atrophy, is the result of chronic inflammation and tends to be multifocal (multifocal atrophic gastritis) [36]. The increased expression of multiple cytokines by the gastric mucosa accelerates the progression of atrophic changes in cells [39]. In advanced stages of atrophy, intestinal metaplasia occurs, where a phenotypic change in the gastric mucosa is observed [36]. Normal epithelial cells are replaced by cells with an intestinal phenotype [42]. Intestinal metaplasia is considered a condition that predisposes to malignancy [36][42]. Dysplasia is characterized by a neoplastic phenotype, both in cell morphology and architectural organization of the epithelium [36]. The progression from superficial gastritis to an atrophic, metaplastic and finally neoplastic mucosa is associated with the virulence of H. pylori, as well as environmental and host factors [43]. Both gastric mucosal inflammation and H. pylori may cause host cell genomic instability, damage of the DNA mismatch repair system, abnormal DNA methylation, dysregulation of noncoding gene expression, which all contribute to an accumulation of mutations and the loss of normal regulation of cell function [43][44]. Besides participation of the aforementioned H. pylori virulence factors in disease development, the bacteria also liberates outer membrane vesicles (H. pylori-OMVs) [45][46] that participate in such events. Biologically active H. pylori compounds can be introduced by H. pylori-OMVs into host cells where they may alter cell signaling pathways, impair cellular function, promote infection, and regulate immune responses [31][46]. In addition, H. pylori colonizes the epithelium of the stomach and causes pleiotropic changes in the infected cells of the stomach lining. All eukaryotic cells release host-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) [47], and after infection by a pathogen these EVs may change in number, composition, or both. The details of these changes and, as a consequence, the biological effects such EVs may have in recipient cells are just beginning to be unraveled. As for H. pylori infection, little is known in this respect. However, the available evidence suggests they are important in this context. Thus, in the rest of this review we will elaborate on the contribution of H. pylori infected host-derived EVs and H. pylori-OMVs to the genesis and progression of gastric cancer.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous vesicles derived from cells that are important in local and distant intercellular communication, although initially such vesicles were thought to represent a mechanism by which cells eliminate waste products. All human cells that have been investigated are able to secrete EVs. Furthermore, this is a highly conserved process throughout evolution, from bacteria, protozoa, fungi, and plants to animals [48][49][50]. EVs were discovered in sheep reticulocytes, during their differentiation process. Johnstone’s group reported that immature sheep reticulocytes released most of their transferrin receptor in association with small membrane vesicles, through fusion of multi-vesicular bodies (MVBs) with the cell membrane [51][52]. Subsequently, it was shown that reticulocytes from other species also release EVs, which, in addition to transferrin receptors, also contain other proteins, such as acetylcholinesterase [52][53]. Although in the context of reticulocyte development it is clear why EVs were considered a means by which cells eliminated unwanted molecules, nowadays their role is viewed as being much more complex.
H. pylori, like many of the Gram-negative bacteria mentioned above, secrete outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from the bacterial outer membrane. These vesicles ranging from 20–450 nm size participate in the communication between bacteria as well as with the environment and, therefore, are important players in bacterial pathogenesis [147][148][149]. It has been reported that H. pylori releases OMVs both in vitro and in vivo [150][151][152][153]. OMVs secreted from H. pylori (H. pylori-OMVs) retain many of the surface molecules of the bacteria, such as LPS, peptidoglycan and outer membrane proteins [147]. Additionally, H. pylori-OMVs contain cytoplasmic molecules, such as proteins associated with translation and virulence factors [154]. Olofsson et al. (2010), determined that H. pylori-OMVs phospholipid composition is similar to that of the bacteria outer membrane and includes phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, lyso-phophatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine and cholesterol. However, some components are enriched in the OMVs compared to the bacterial outer membrane, as is the case for the protease HtrA [155]. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that 77% of the bacterial outer membrane proteins could also be detected in H. pylori-OMVs. Moreover, several proteins associated with H. pylori virulence, such as the urease subunits, VacA, CagA, BabA and SabA adhesins were identified (Figure 2). In addition, glutamyl transpeptidase, the protease HtrA, as well as the cytoplasmic proteins GroEL, catalase, metabolic and ribosomal proteins were also identified in H. pylori-OMVs [155]. Proteomics analysis of OMVs from H. pylori identified a subset of proteins that are not detected in their parent bacterium, suggesting that there is a mechanism for cargo selection [149]. In addition, the size, protein composition and cargo selection for OMVs depended on the stage of H. pylori growth [149]. In this study, H. pylori-OMVs were isolated and purified from bacterial cultures in early, late and stationary growth phase. The results show that H. pylori-OMVs isolated from bacteria in the late and stationary phases of growth are smaller but more abundant than H. pylori-OMVs from an early phase bacteria. Furthermore, OMVs isolated from H. pylori in early growth phase are enriched in metabolic proteins and virulence factors, such as VacA, urease and CagA compared to OMVs from later stage bacteria [149]. On the other hand, the environmental conditions and nutrient availability can also affect the composition of H. pylori-OMVs. When H. pylori was cultured on Brucella broth or blood agar, the derived OMVs showed a different protein pattern [155]. In addition, proteomic analysis revealed that the number of OMV associated proteins may vary between H. pylori strains J99 and NCTC 11637 [154]. However, the mechanisms that produce these differences are unknown. According to epidemiological studies, there is an association between H. pylori infection and iron metabolism. Therefore, an unbalanced iron metabolism could affect the outcome of H. pylori infection [156][157][158]. Interestingly, iron availability affects the composition of H. pylori-OMVs. In particular, Keenan et al. (2008), determined that H. pylori-OMVs obtained from iron-containing media are LPS enriched, whereas H. pylori-OMVs from bacteria grown under iron-limiting conditions have less and shorter LPS [159]. Furthermore, iron deficiency causes a decrease in bacterial growth, but does not reduce the release of OMVs. However, OMVs released under iron deficient conditions contain less VacA, which is consistent with the absence of vacuolation observed in HEp-2 cells after incubation with these OMVs [160].
Figure 2. Biological effects of outer membrane vesicles released by H. pylori (H. pylori-OMVs) on host cells. SabA and BabA present in H. pylori-OMVs promote adherence to the gastric mucosa. Internalization of H. pylori-OMVs by epithelial cells leads to DNA fragmentation and activation of caspases-8, 9 and 3. H. pylori-OMVs induce micronuclei formation and vacuoles mediated by VacA. CagA promotes the disruption of tight junctions between cells. Moreover, H. pylori-OMVs induce NF-B nuclear translocation and increase IL-8 production. Peptidoglycans from H. pylori-OMVs, stimulate the cytosolic nucleotide binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) response. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, H. pylori-OMVs stimulate proliferation and the release of IL-6 and IL-10. H. pylori-OMVs also induce the expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Alternatively, the presence of VacA induces apoptosis in T cells.
OMV formation initiates when protrusions are generated from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria that then pinch off, capturing some of the periplasm content [155]. The ability of H. pylori-OMVs to elicit a response in the host depends on uptake and the entry into epithelial cells [148]. The internalization of OMVs secreted by H. pylori occurs primarily through clathrin-dependent endocytosis and, to a lesser extent, through clathriin-independent mechanisms [161][162]. Concerning cholesterol-dependent mechanisms for internalization, contradictory evidence has been obtained [161][162]. On the other hand, Parker et al. (2010) showed that within 20 min of stimulation of AGS cells with H. pylori-OMVs, all associated OMVs localized within the cells, and that uptake occurred at a higher rate in the presence of VacA. Additionally, the authors observed that H. pylori-OMV uptake is inhibited by addition of LPS [163]. More recently, Turner et al. (2018), demonstrated that the size of OMVs determines the endocytic entry mechanism. A heterogenous sized H. pylori-OMV population results in uptake by micropinocytosis, clathrin- and caveolin-mediated endocytosis. Generally, smaller OMVs (20–100 nm) prefer caveolin-mediated internalization, whereas larger OMVs (90–450 nm) seem to prefer clathrin- and dynamin-mediated endocytosis [148]. Interestingly, larger OMVs contain more and a wider range of proteins than smaller OMVs. For example, large OMVs, but not small OMVs contain BabA and SabA adhesins [148]. However, both populations have virulence factors, such as urease and VacA. Thus, OMV size determines the role these vesicles play in pathogenesis [148].
Accordingly, H. pylori-OMVs transport on their surface or inside, several virulence factors, such as VacA and CagA, and are rapidly internalized by gastric epithelial cells [93][156][163]. Additionally, both the adhesins BabA and SabA were also found on the OMV surface and shown to be biologically active as mediators of adhesion to the human gastric mucosa. There is a high variability between strains in terms of OMV protein profiles. Such variations also affect VacA presence [93][164]. VacA was identified using specific antibodies in H. pylori-OMVs present in gastric biopsies and H. pylori cultures. In addition, VacA was shown to be biologically active in OMVs, since vacuolation was observed after incubation of HEp-2 cells with OMVs from H. pylori 60190 (Figure 2) [151]. Additionally, VacA is internalized and can be observed intracellularly in epithelial cells when these are incubated with either the free form or bound to OMVs. Ricci et al. (2005), showed that approximately 75% of total VacA is released in the free form and the rest is in OMVs. Although both soluble VacA and OMV VacA can induce vacuolization, the OMV VacA is less effective in this respect and may perhaps play a different role [165].
Another important virulence factor identified in OMVs is urease. Proteomic analysis revealed that UreA, a urease catalytic subunit, was present in H. pylori-OMVs isolated from H. pylori strain 26695 and CCUG 17875. Moreover, in AGS cells treated with H. pylori-OMVs from the strain 26695, UreA localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus. Therefore, OMVs can transfer UreA to gastric cells. In addition, the nuclear targeting of UreA lead to morphological changes, suggesting that UreA has functions that are independent of its role as an enzyme [166]. Consistent with this notion, recent studies showed that urease also functions as a ligand for TLR2 to induce stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 [167].
Catalase (KatA) is a virulence factor that promotes bacterial survival by eliminating hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite generated by immune cells [168]. Notably, catalase was identified in H. pylori-OMVs at a 7-fold higher concentration than in H. pylori itself. Thus, H. pylori-OMVs, are endowed with a strong anti-oxidant capacity that surrounds the bacteria and protects against oxidative damage produced by the immune system [168].
H. pylori like many bacteria, forms biofilms, which contain extracellular matrix components, including exo-polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and DNA. Moreover, biofilm formation is important for survival and successful infection by many pathogenic bacteria. Interestingly, OMVs are detected in the matrix of H. pylori biofilms and the production of H. pylori-OMVs was found to strongly correlate with biofilm formation [169]. Therefore, another role of OMVs may be to promote H. pylori biofilm formation and thereby enhance bacterial survival as well as favor infection of the stomach epithelium.
OMVs from H. pylori have many effects, both in vitro and in vivo [170]. In particular, H. pylori-OMVs have been shown to induce micronuclei formation in gastric AGS cells, indicating genomic damage, apparently mediated by VacA. In the same gastric epithelial cell line, internalization of H. pylori-OMVs lead to the formation of large vacuoles, as early as 4 h after incubation (Figure 2). Additionally, disruption of vacuole integrity and reduction in cellular glutathione were observed and restoring glutathione levels by the addition of glutathione ester in vitro to AGS cells prevented micronuclei formation caused by H. pylori-OMV stimulation, suggesting a role for oxidative stress in the infection process [153]. As mentioned previously, H. pylori-OMVs also contain active CagA, which appears to promote the disruption of tight junctions between epithelial cells (Figure 2), given that CagA from H. pylori-OMVs localizes in close proximity of zona occludens-1 protein junctions, which correlates with a disorganized and diffuse zona occludens-1 pattern after stimulation by H. pylori-OMVs. Moreover, CagA in H. pylori-OMVs enhances histone H1 affinity for ATP, which may modulate gene transcription, although this point was not addressed in the study [171].
Adhesins important for H. pylori adherence to the human gastric epithelium, such as SabA and BabA, are present in H. pylori-OMVs, and are biologically active, as they promote adherence between OMVs isolated in vitro, as well as to the human gastric mucosa in biopsies. Moreover, pre-incubation of H. pylori-OMVs with Leb-receptor or sLex receptor conjugates before adding OMVs to the human gastric mucosa from biopsies, prevented H. pylori-OMV binding, suggesting that SabA and BabA are important for adherence to the gastric mucosa [155]. The effect of H. pylori-OMVs on epithelial cell proliferation appears to be dose dependent. After 24 h of stimulation, low OMV doses increased AGS cell proliferation up to 30%; alternatively, at high doses, approximately 50% growth arrest and a decrease in proliferation is observed. In addition, high doses of H. pylori-OMVs increase toxicity and IL-8 production [163][172]. The decrease in cell viability of gastric epithelial cells after stimuli with H. pylori-OMVs was also corroborated by others [173]. Other effects in AGS cells observed in this study included vacuolation and apoptosis. Specifically, DNA fragmentation and activation of the caspases-8, 9 and 3 were observed but these events occurred in the absence of cytochrome C release (Figure 2) [173].
Less is known about the effects of H. pylori-OMVs on cells of the host immune system; however recent evidence shows that they have opposite effects. For instance, treatment with H. pylori-OMVs stimulate proliferation and the release of IL-6 and 10 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells [93]. Alternatively, H. pylori-OMVs induce apoptosis in Jurkat T cells (immortalized human T cells) and in naïve CD4+ cells [93]. H. pylori-OMVs also induce the expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and as a consequence, H. pylori-OMVs can inhibit human T cell proliferation, via prostaglandin-E2. Induction of IL-10 was also observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Figure 2) [174].
H. pylori-OMVs induced, in a dose-dependent manner, IL-8 in gastric AGS cells, and IL-6 as well as TNF in mouse macrophages. In vivo, oral and intraperitoneal administration of H. pylori-OMVs in mice induced IFN-α, IL-17 and IL-4 expression, as well as increased immunoglobulin G generation. In vivo, H. pylori-OMVs targeted stomach epithelial cells in mice. Thus, H. pylori-OMVs induce immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. Since, as mentioned before, H. pylori-OMVs are abundant in the stomach of gastric cancer patients, these can infiltrate the gastric mucosa to induce inflammation, and potentially promote gastric cancer [142].
H. pylori-OMVs also contain peptidoglycans, which stimulate the cytosolic nucleotide binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD1) response in epithelial cells (Figure 2). In addition, H. pylori-OMVs administered intra-gastrically induced innate and adaptive immune responses in mice, via NOD1. Specifically, H. pylori-OMVs induce NF-κB reporter activity and nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit, in addition to IL-8 production (Figure 2) [147]. IL-8 and IL-6 are pro-inflammatory cytokines that prolong inflammation, while IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine, which has a suppressive function on cytokine secretion. Thus, H. pylori-OMVs can elicit opposing effects in the immune system, by increasing or decreasing the proliferation of immune cells, as well as by elevating both, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Further research is required to determine how H. pylori-OMVs contribute to the development of gastric cancer associated with H. pylori infection.
Recent applications of OMV and EV research include vaccine development and biomarker identification [175][176]. Currently, the first line of treatment against H. pylori is antibiotic combination therapy. However, in the last decades resistance to antibiotics has increased [177]. Therefore, new alternative forms of therapy are being developed, and vaccines have emerged as a potential candidate [178].
Vaccines developed against the bacterial outer membrane have been used to induce protection against various pathogens. Hence, the use of OMVs for the same purpose has recently been explored. The first challenge in developing a vaccine targeting H. pylori-OMVs, is the method used for isolating large quantities of OMVs. In this respect, Turner et al. (2015), described that the TolB protein is key to H. pylori membrane integrity and H. pylori-OMVs from a DtolB mutant strain increased the production of H. pylori-OMVs that were more immunogenic [179]. Keenan et al. (2000) evaluated immunogenicity of H. pylori-OMVs in a murine model of immune protection and such effects were attributed to increased serum immunoglobulin G antibody against lipoprotein 20 [175]. Liu et al. (2019), tested the immune protective response of H. pylori-OMVs obtained from the gerbil-adapted H. pylori strain 7.13 using a mouse model. The results showed that H. pylori-OMVs generate a strong humoral and mucosal immune response without inflammation that reduces H. pylori load, suggesting a potential use as a treatment [178]. Subsequently, the combination of H. pylori-OMVs with outer membrane proteins or whole cell vaccines, two commonly studied approaches against H. pylori, confirmed that H. pylori-OMVs from H. pylori strain 7.13 were effective as an adjuvant. The analysis demonstrated that vaccines with H. pylori-OMVs induced a Th2 and Th17 biased immunity, increasing cell mediated and humoral immunity, which reduces H. pylori colonization in a mouse model. Consequently, H. pylori-OMVs are effective adjuvants for these types of vaccines [180].
The high death rate from gastric cancer is due to the fact that most patients with the disease are not diagnosed until they exhibit symptoms. This makes it difficult to detect gastric cancer at an early stage [181]. Since the infection with H. pylori is associated with the development of gastric precancerous lesions and gastric cancer, its detection is essential for early diagnosis. Current H. pylori diagnosis involves both invasive and non-invasive techniques. The invasive approach requires obtaining an endoscopic biopsy, which can be analyzed enzymatically using the rapid urease test or histologically with specific antibodies or by PCR. Among the techniques for processing gastric biopsies, PCR appears to be a more sensitive method compared to the others [182]. Progress has been made in obtaining endoscopic images through the development of linked color imaging (LCI) and blue laser imaging (BLI), whereby sensitivity and specificity are on the order of 83.8–85.4% and 79.5–99.5%, respectively [183]. In addition, artificial intelligence has been used to analyze the presence of H. pylori in images obtained by LCI [184]. On the other hand, non-invasive tests include the urea breathing test (UBT), serology and the H. pylori stool antigen test. For the UBT, patients ingest labeled 13C-urea as a substrate for the bacterial urease [185][186]. The 13C-labeled carbon dioxide produced by the reaction is detected in the patient’s breath by mass spectrometry or using an isotope-selective infrared spectroscope [185]. In recent years, the development of portable mass spectrometers has reduced equipment size and the cost of the analysis [187]. Serology is useful mostly for screening and in epidemiological studies [188]. To date, none of the current H. pylori diagnostic options can be considered a gold standard individually. For instance, besides its invasiveness, endoscopic imaging and biopsies require specialized equipment and medical staff. Regarding the non-invasive methods, the sensitivity and specificity still needs to be improved, although values lie between 93–96% and 94–97% for the UBT and the fecal antigen test, respectively [188]. Of note, efforts have been made in the area of next generation sequencing to permit the detection of H. pylori mutations that confer resistance to the most commonly used antibiotics and coincide phenotypically with antibiotic susceptibility [188]. On the other hand, although it is well known that the serological test does not necessarily detect a current infection, an attempt has been made to diagnose an active infection by detecting seropositivity for 13 H. pylori proteins by multiplex. This study concludes that seropositivity to 2 of the proteins VacA, GroEl, HcpC and HP1564 is sufficient to identify an ongoing H. pylori infection [189]. The sensitivity limitations and the invasive nature of most diagnostic methods, together with the lack of a gold standard method, make it necessary to develop more sensitive and specific non-invasive tests for the detection of H. pylori infection.
EVs can potentially be used as biomarker carriers, since their content is protected from degradation in the bloodstream by their lipid membrane. These EVs can be isolated from blood or other biological fluids, such as urine, gastric juice or saliva, among others, to identify molecules associated with different diseases. EVs exhibit variations in the molecular profile in healthy subjects compared to patients with diverse diseases, and such information can be exploited for diagnosis [190]. Indeed, as mentioned before, during H. pylori infection, CagA is detected in EVs from patient sera [135]. However, there are not many studies that identify H. pylori-OMVs in circulation, mainly because it is still very difficult to differentiate pathogen-derived OMVs from EVs produced by host cells. However, some reports have revealed the presence of OMVs in circulation [130][191]. Current improvements in methods for the isolation of EVs and pathogen-derived OMVs, along with the identification of molecules that serve as biomarkers, suggest that EVs could be used as a diagnostic tool for the detection of H. pylori infection and preneoplastic gastric lesions in the near future.
During H. pylori infection, host cells release EVs carrying an altered profile of host molecules, and even pathogen-derived proteins. These H. pylori-infected host cell EVs can have a variety of effects on gastric epithelial cells, gastric cancer cells and macrophages, including changes in epithelial cell morphology and increased release of cytokines by immune cells. In addition, during H. pylori infection, the bacteria releases OMVs, bearing pathogen-derived molecules, including the virulence factors CagA, VacA, Urease, LPS, SabA, BabA, among many others, that induce changes in epithelial cells, including vacuolation, micronuclei formation, disruption of tight junctions between epithelial cells, and either cell proliferation or growth arrest, depending on the OMV dose. The effects of H. pylori-OMVs on the immune system have been found to be contradictory, as they promote or inhibit proliferation of certain immune cells and increase pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine release. Overall, H. pylori-infected host cell EVs and H. pylori-OMVs can promote cellular changes that tend to favor the development and/or progression of gastric cancer. In addition, H. pylori-OMVs are being evaluated for use in the development of vaccines against H. pylori development and so far, show promising results. Finally, EVs have proven to be useful for diagnosis, as they can be isolated from various biological fluids, such as blood, urine, saliva and gastric juice, among others. Improvements in the purification of EVs and in the identification of biomarkers for detection of H. pylori infection, as well as preneoplastic gastric lesions, hold considerable promise for use in the diagnosis and prevention of gastric cancer. Future studies on EVs/OMVs in H. pylori infection should focus on the development of vaccines against H. pylori and early diagnosis of H. pylori infection along with preneoplastic gastric lesions, in order to improve the prevention of gastric cancer and the survival of gastric cancer patients.
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/ijms22094823