N. Kutukculer et al., INCREASED MUCOSAL INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN CHILDREN WITH HELICOBACTER-PYLORI-ASSOCIATED GASTRITIS, Acta paediatrica, 86(9), 1997, pp. 928-931
The concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interl
eukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1-beta in tissue homogenates of gastric mucosal
biopsy specimens, and in gastric juice samples from Helicobacter pylor
i-positive and -negative children, were determined. The study populati
on comprised 30 children with recurrent abdominal pain attending upper
gastrointestinal endoscopy. Of these patients 18 were infected with H
. pylori. Cytokine concentrations in gastric biopsy homogenate superna
tants and in gastric juice were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorben
t assay (ELISA). TNF-alpha levels in gastric juice and in gastric biop
sy homogenate supernatants in patients with H. pylori-positive gastrit
is were found to be significantly higher than those in children withou
t H. pylori infection. IL-6 levels were also higher in H. pylori-infec
ted subjects, but the difference in IL-6 concentrations measured in ga
stric juice and biopsy homogenate supernatants did not reach statistic
al significance. IL-1-beta concentrations in both specimens showed no
significant difference between the two groups of children. It was sugg
ested that increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, especially TNF-
alpha and IL-6 generated locally within the gastric mucosa might be im
plicated in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated gastritis in chil
dhood.