OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonization and the grade of gastritis in the antrum and in the body of patients with duodenal ulcer (DU) or benign gastric ulcer (BGU). METHODS: This study was performed in H. pylori-positive 220 DU patients and 180 BGU patients. H. pylori density was evaluated by modified Giemsa staining and CLO test, and gastritis grade was graded by H+ACY-E staining in the antrum and in the body. RESULTS: H. pylori grade by Giemsa staining was 1.24 in the antrum and 0.82 in the body for DU group (p +ADw- 0.01), and those of BGU group were slightly reversed, 0.83 and 0.87, respectively, but without statistical significance. Similarly H. pylori grade by CLO test was 3.1 in the antrum and 2.8 in the body for DU group (p +ADw- 0.01), and those of BGU group 2.3 and 2.6 (p +ADw- 0.05), respectively. In contrast, gastritis grade was 1.7 in the antrum and 1.2 in the body for DU group (p +ADw- 0.01), and those of BGU group 1.6 and 1.3 (p +ADw- 0.01), respectively, similar to those of DU. However, there was a correlation between H. pylori grade and gastritis grade in the antrum and in the body, not only in DU but also in BGU group (p +ADw- 0.01). CONCLUSION: In spite of different distribution patterns of H. pylori between DU group and BGU group, gastritis grade of the antrum was significantly higher than that of the body in both DU and BGU. However, gastritis is correlated with H. pylori density not only in DU but also in BGU patients. It looks like the inflammatory reaction to H. pylori is stronger in the antrum than in the body.
Adult ; Aged ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Comparative Study ; Duodenal Ulcer/pathology+ACo- ; Duodenal Ulcer/microbiology ; Female ; Gastric Fundus/pathology ; Gastric Fundus/microbiology ; Gastritis/pathology+ACo- ; Gastritis/microbiology+ACo- ; Helicobacter Infections/pathology ; Helicobacter Infections/diagnosis+ACo- ; Helicobacter pylori/isolation +ACY- purification+ACo- ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Probability ; Pyloric Antrum/pathology ; Pyloric Antrum/microbiology ; Severity of Illness Index ; Stomach Ulcer/pathology+ACo- ; Stomach Ulcer/microbiology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In the Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori)-negative normal stomach, collecting venules are visible over all the gastric body as numerous minute points evaluated with standard endoscopy. This finding was termed regular arrangement of collecting venules (RAC), and its absence suggests H. Pylori gastritis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the RAC and rapid urease test. METHODS: Two hundred sixty three consecutive adults undergoing upper digestive endoscopy and rapid urease test were included. The lesser curvature of the lower corpus was evaluated for the RAC pattern using a standard endoscope and different hemoglobin index. Two biopsies from the lesser curvature of the antrum and the greater curvature of the body were collected for rapid urease test. RESULTS: H. Pylori were detected in 51.3% (135/263) patients. Of the 57 patients with H. Pylori-negative normal stomachs 53 patients (93%) had RAC. As a determinant of the normal stomach without H. Pylori infection, the presence of RAC had 41.4% sensitivity, 97.0% specificity, 93.0% positive predictive value and 63.6% negative predictive value. CONCLUSIONS: RAC-positive finding by standard endoscopy showed high positive predictive value and specificity of H. Pylori-negative normal stomach. RAC-positive finding by standard endoscopy could be an useful finding to predict H. Pylori negativity.
Adult ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Gastritis/microbiology/pathology ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyloric Antrum/blood supply/microbiology/pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urease/metabolism ; Venules/anatomy & histology

BACKGROUND: The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is still controversial, and the relation between current H. pylori infection and CAD has not been fully examined. This study evaluated the relation between H. pylori infection as confirmed by gastroduodenoscopic biopsy and CAD. METHODS: We determined the presence of H. pylori infections, via gastroduodenoscopy, in 88 patients of the normal coronary angiographic group and also in 175 patients of the CAD group, and the latter patients had more than 50% coronary stenosis angiographically demonstrated. We excluded those patients with a history of previous H. pylori eradication and/or malignancy. A small piece of tissue from the antrum, which was obtained by gastroduodenoscopic biopsy, was stained by Warthin-starry silver stain. We defined a negative staining result that there was no stained tissue in the sample and the stained tissue was also positive for H. pylori infection. RESULTS: There was no significant difference, except for gender, age, smoking and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), of the demographic and laboratory characteristics between the groups. Twenty seven (30.7%) patients of the normal control group and 71 (40.6%) patients of the CAD group were positive of H. pylori infection, yet there was no statistical difference. We angiographically followed up the 80 patients of the CAD group who were treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at 6 to 9 months after their primary intervention. Twenty two (37.9%) of the 58 patients of the H. pylori negative group and 10 (45.5%) of the 22 patients of the H. pylori positive group were treated with reintervention, but reintervention was also not significantly different between the group with H. pylori infection and the group without the infection. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicated that H. pylori infection had a modest influence on CAD and progressive atheroma, but the showed a tendency to increase. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between H. pylori infection and CAD.
Aged ; Angioplasty, Transluminal, Percutaneous Coronary ; Biopsy ; Case-Control Studies ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease/*microbiology/radiography/therapy ; Duodenoscopy ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections/complications/*microbiology/pathology ; Helicobacter pylori/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pyloric Antrum/pathology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVESince application of pediatric gastroscopy in the mid-nineteen nineties, there has been a trend that the prevalence rates of pediatric gastritis and duodenal ulcer (DU) are increasing. The diagnosed rate of pediatric gastritis has accounted for 85% - 95% of the total number of children who received gastroscopy, and the rate of DU accounted for 8% - 22%. Such a high rates of the diseases may influence the development of the children severely. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of pediatric chronic gastritis and DU have not been completely elucidated. The disordered gastrointestinal hormones play a crucial role in the pediatric chronic gastritis and DU. This study focused on the expression of gastrin (GAS), somatostatin (SS) in the mucosa of gastric antrum and PCNA and Fas-L in the sinus ventriculi and their possible roles in the pathogenesis of pediatric chronic gastritis and DU.

METHODThe sinus ventriculi mucosal samples of 83 cases were collected via gastroscopic biopsy from the hospital during the recent two years and the cases were divided into five groups: group A, chronic superficial gastritis, Helicobacter pylori (Hp)(+); group B, chronic superficial gastritis, Hp(-); group C, DU, Hp(+); Group D, DU, Hp(-); Group E, normal sinus ventriculi mucosa, Hp(-). Immunohistochemical staining (En Vision) was carried out for GAS, SS, PCNA and Fas-L, and positive cells of each slide were counted (x 400). Statistically significant differences among groups for continuous data were assessed with the software SPSS10.0.

RESULTSThe expressions of GAS and SS in the groups A through E had no significant difference. The expression of PCNA in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (P < 0.05), and no significant differences were found among the other groups. There were no significant differences in expressions of Fas-L among the five groups.

CONCLUSIONThere seems to be an increasing tendency in the expressions of GAS and SS in children with chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcer. Hp infection promotes the multiplication of the sinus ventriculi mucosal epithelium cells in the pediatric chronic gastritis.

Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Duodenal Ulcer ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Fas Ligand Protein ; metabolism ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gastrins ; metabolism ; Gastritis ; metabolism ; microbiology ; pathology ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; isolation & purification ; pathogenicity ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; Pyloric Antrum ; metabolism ; pathology ; Somatostatin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of gastric mucosal CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infected children.

METHODSSeventy nine patients with digestive tract symptoms were assessed by endoscopy, rapid urease test and histology. Forty four patients had Hp positive chronic superficial gastritis (Hp(+)CSG) and 35 patients had Hp negative chronic superficial gastritis (Hp(-)CSG). Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from each patient. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 33 patients (12 with Hp(+)CSG, 21 with Hp(-)CSG). Hp infection was identified by rapid urease test and histology. Hp infection was confirmed when a patient was positive for both of these tests. Four pieces of gastric antrum mucosal specimens were placed in Hank's balanced salt solution containing 1 mmol/L dithiothreitol (DTT) and 1 mmol/L ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). The specimens were treated with collagenase type I (120 U/ml) for three hours at 37 degrees C with agitation. The mononuclear cells were collected by removing undigested material and washed three times with RPMI 1640. Isolated gastic mononuclear cells were stained with CD3-FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate), CD4-PE (R-phycoerthrin), CD8-PerCP (Peridinin-chlorophyll-alpha-protein) and measured by flow cytometry. Mucosal T lymphocytes were gated for the expression of CD3. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were analysed by direct immunofluorescence.

RESULTSThe percentage of isolated gastric mononuclear cells within the CD3 gate were 3.26 +/- 1.98 in Hp(-)CSG, 4.37 +/- 1.97 in Hp(+)CSG. Relative CD4(+)(%), CD8(+)(%) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) of the CD3(+) cells respectively were 23.74 +/- 10.37, 47.04 +/- 12.00, 0.52 +/- 0.23 in Hp(-)CSG group, 40.28 +/- 11.35, 27.91 +/- 8.84, 1.55 +/- 0.52 in Hp(+)CSG group. CD4(+)(%), CD4(+)/CD8(+) in Hp(+)CSG group were significantly higher than those of Hp(-)CSG group and CD8(+)(%) was lower than those of Hp(-)CSG group (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONThe difference of gastric T lymphocyte response between Hp(+)CSG and Hp(-)CSG in children indicated that the local cellular immune reaction may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of Hp infection.

Biopsy ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Child ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gastritis ; immunology ; microbiology ; pathology ; Gastroscopy ; Helicobacter Infections ; immunology ; microbiology ; pathology ; Helicobacter pylori ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathogenicity ; Humans ; Male ; Pyloric Antrum ; metabolism ; pathology ; Urease ; biosynthesis ; metabolism

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate a new monoclonal antibody for Helicobacter pylori urease in gastric tissue. METHODS: A total of 107 volunteers were enrolled. All subjects underwent a 13C-urea breath test and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Gastric aspirates were analyzed for pH and ammonia. Six biopsy specimens in the gastric antrum and body were obtained for a rapid urease test and histology. The new monoclonal antibody-based H. pylori urease test (HPU) was performed to rapidly and qualitatively detect urease in two biopsy specimens. RESULTS: H. pylori infection was diagnosed in 73 subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of the HPU was 89% and 74%, respectively. The subjects were divided into two groups: one with true-positive and true-negative HPU results (n = 90) and the other with false-positive and false-negative HPU results (n = 17). Across all subjects, ammonia levels were 900.5 +/- 646.7 and 604.3 +/- 594.3 mumol/L (p > 0.05), and pH was 3.37 +/- 1.64 and 2.82 +/- 1.51 (p > 0.05). Sensitivity was higher in the presence of atrophic gastritis or intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSIONS: HPU detected H. pylori in approximately 10 min. Gastric aspirate ammonia and pH levels did not affect the test results. Sensitivity was good in the presence of atrophic gastritis or intestinal metaplasia.
Adult ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*immunology ; Bacterial Proteins/*analysis/immunology ; Biomarkers/analysis ; Biopsy ; False Negative Reactions ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Gastritis, Atrophic/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Helicobacter Infections/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori/*enzymology/immunology ; Humans ; *Immunologic Tests ; Male ; Metaplasia ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Pyloric Antrum/*microbiology/pathology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Time Factors ; Urease/*analysis/immunology ; Workflow