VITAMIN-E CONCENTRATIONS IN THE HUMAN STOMACH AND DUODENUM - CORRELATION WITH HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION

Background-Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is an important endogenous ant ioxidant and may also act as an anticarcinogen. Aim-To determine the v itamin E status of subjects with, and without, gastroduodenal inflamma tion and Helicobacter pylori infection. Subjects-36 patients undergoin g routine gastroscopy for investigation of dyspepsia. Methods-High per formance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection was used to determine alpha-tocopherol values. Results-In H pylori negative subje cts with normal gastroduodenal histology (n=11) median alpha-tocophero l values (ng/mg tissue weight) were significantly higher in the corpus (16.4, interquartile range (IQR) 8.9-22.6) than in the antrum (3.0, I QR 2.6-6.7, p=0.001) or duodenum (6.7, IQR 2.5-8.4, p=0.001). H pylori infection (n=19) was associated with a reduction in the corpus alpha- tocopherol values (median 8.3, IQR 4.9-13.7, p<0.05) but there was no significant change in the antral concentrations although this was the main site of inflammation and neutrophil activity. Duodenal alpha-toco pherol values were not significantly changed in the presence of duoden itis or gastric H pylori infection. alpha-Tocopherol was not detected in the gastric juice of any of the subjects. Plasma alpha-tocopherol c oncentrations in the H pylori negative subjects (median 10.4 mg/l, IQR 7.2-11.9) were not significantly different to the values in the H pyl ori positive subjects (median 11.1 mg/l, IQR 7.6-12.7). Conclusions-Co ncentrations of alpha-tocopherol in H pylori negative subjects are hig her in the corpus than in the antrum or duodenum. In the presence of p redominantly antral H pylori infection and neutrophil activity the maj or change seen is a reduction in corpus alpha-tocopherol values while antral concentrations are maintained. These findings may reflect a mob ilisation of antioxidant defences to the sites of maximal inflammation in the stomach.