目的　探讨中国幽门螺杆菌 (Hp)的空泡毒素基因 (vacA)型及cag致病岛对胃上皮细胞白细胞介素 8(IL 8)转录的影响。方法　以基因测序与Southern杂交法确定HpvacA基因型及cag致病岛状态 ;构建带有IL 8报告基因的人胃癌细胞系L5F11,用液体闪烁计数仪测定荧光素酶活性 (IL 8转录 ) ,用HeLa细胞测定空泡毒素活性。结果　所有cag致病岛完整菌株 (15株 )较野生型cag致病岛阴性菌株G50 诱导荧光素酶活性 [记数 /分 (cpm) ]明显增强 [(0 47± 0 19)× 10 6cpm比 (0 13± 0 0 2 )× 10 6cpm ,P <0 0 1];而cag致病岛部分丢失菌株 (4株 )荧光素酶活性与G50 差异无显著性 [(0 2 3±0 0 8)× 10 6cpm比 (0 13± 0 0 2 )× 10 6cpm ,P >0 0 5 ];vacA基因s1/m1型菌株 (5株 )较s1/m2型菌株(14株 )空泡毒素活性增强 (P <0 0 1) ,但二者诱导荧光素酶活性差异无显著性 [(0 2 9± 0 12 )× 10 6cpm比 (0 5 3± 0 41)× 10 6cpm ,P >0 0 5 ]。结论　中国Hp诱导胃上皮细胞IL 8转录能力与cag致病岛状态密切相关 ,而与vacA基因型无明显关系 Objective To investigate the effects of vacA and cag pathogenicity isolates of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) on the transcription of interleukin 8 (IL 8) in gastric epithelial cells in China. Methods The genotypes of HpvacA and cag pathogenicity island were determined by gene sequencing and Southern blotting. The human gastric cancer cell line L5F11 with IL8 reporter gene was constructed and the luciferase activity (IL8 transcription) was measured by liquid scintillation counter HeLa cells were assayed for vacuolar toxin activity. Results All strains of cag pathogenicity isolates (15 strains) showed significantly enhanced luciferase activity [cpm] compared with wild-type cag pathogenicity island-negative strains G50 [(0 47 ± 0 19) × 10 6 cpm (0 13 ± 0 0 2) × 10 6 cpm, P <0 0 1]. However, there were no significant differences in the luciferase activity between the strains with cag pathogenicity and those with G50 (0 2 3 ± 0 0 8 ) × 10 6cpm (0 13 ± 0 0 2) × 10 6cpm, P> 0 0 5]. VacA gene s1 / m1 strains (5 strains) were more vacuolar toxin than s1 / m2 strains (P0.01), but there was no significant difference in the luciferase activity between the two groups [(0 2 9 ± 0 12) × 10 6 cpm (0 5 3 ± 0 41) × 10 6 cpm, P 0 05 ]. Conclusion The Hp-induced IL-8 transcriptional activity of gastric epithelial cells in China is closely related to the state of cag pathogenicity island but not to vacA genotype