H pylori adheres to platelets in both PRP and platelet aggregates. PRP (100 × 106 platelets) and H pylori (1 × 106 CFU) mixture (platelet/bacteria ratio = 100:1) were analyzed for Hp-conjugated platelets using flow cytometry. A total of 1 × 104 platelets were examined. (A) Binding was significantly higher in pro-aggregatory Hp 49503 compared with nonaggregatory Hp 43504 and Hp 51932. (B) The binding between H pylori and platelets in aggregates was examined by amplifying H pylori–specific urease A gene fragment (412-bp) DNA extracted from the aggregates and from nonaggregatory PRP mixtures. A 412-bp of DNA fragment was observed in the Hp 49503-induced platelet aggregates, but none was found in the AA-induced aggregates or the nonaggregatory PRP mixture.
