In conclusion, strictly optimized in-house ABA-ELISA on 90 Japanese isolates showed that the MBS of BabA, but not SabA, was significantly greater in the cancer than in the non-cancer group, and that BabA-high-binding isolates were associated with high average SabA MBS, which might correlate with the severity of gastric disorders, including gastric cancer. Evaluation of MBS of thes two adhesins, BabA and SabA, would be helpful in understanding and predicting damage to the stomach infected with H. pylori. This work was supported in part by a research grant from Shimonoseki-shi Cytopathology Study Group and by the Project Research Fund from the Kochi University. “
“The extracellular adherence protein (Eap)

from Staphylococcus aureus has been suggested as a vaccine candidate and for therapeutic use due to KU-57788 in vivo its immunomodulating and antiangiogenic properties; however, little is SB203580 known about anti-Eap antibodies in humans. We determined anti-Eap antibody titers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot and measured serum samples from 92 patients with proven S. aureus infections and 93 healthy controls. The functionality of antibodies was assessed by a phagocytosis assay using Eap-coated fluorescent microspheres. Antibodies were detected in all human samples, but not in mice. Patients showed significantly higher titers than controls [immunoglobulin M (IgM), P=0.007;

IgG, P<0.0001]. Patients with deep or severe infections showed higher titers than those with superficial or mild disease. Eap alone was sufficient to promote phagocytosis by peripheral blood mononuclear cell and granulocytes that was moderately enhanced in the presence of human serum, but no correlation was found with the levels of anti-Eap antibodies. Anti-Eap antibodies are prevalent in all tested humans and correlate with the severity of S.

aureus infection; however, they do not seem to provide protection against invasive infections. Before considering Eap for therapy or as a vaccine candidate, further studies are warranted to assess the impact of the interference between Eap and its specific antibodies. Staphylococcus aureus-mediated infections are commonly found within the hospital and in the community (Grady & Cullen, 2003), ranging SDHB from superficial skin pustules to life-threatening conditions such as osteomyelitis, endocarditis and sepsis (Lowy, 1998). Among a high number of virulence factors, the extracellular adherence protein (Eap), a 45–70 kDa molecule of the group of secreted expanded repertoire adhesive molecules (SERAM), has been studied intensively over the past few years (Haggar et al., 2003; Athanasopoulos et al., 2006; Xie et al., 2006; Schneider et al., 2007; Cheng et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2010). Recently, we showed significantly enhanced transcription of eap in S. aureus from infected human wounds compared with the transcription in vitro, with deeper wounds showing higher transcription then superficial wounds (Joost et al., 2009).