BLOOD LEUKOCYTE DIFFERENTIAL IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION

Helicobacter pylori causes a chronic infection in gastric mucosa, but its systemic effects are largely unknown. Our aim was to characterize the effect of H. pylori infection and gastric mucosal inflammation on the peripheral blood leukocyte count. An endoscopic series of 96 patie nts (40 men and 56 women), with a mean age of 62, years (range 49-80) was studied. Endoscopy with eight stepwise biopsies was performed and the occurrence of H. pylori was studied from sections stained with War thin-Starry. The severity of inflammation in antral and body mucosa wa s estimated. The peripheral blood leukocyte count and differential cou nt were determined by the automatic how cytometric method, The total n umber of blood leukocytes and the numbers of lymphocytes and basophils were significantly increased in H. pylori-positive patients (N = 58), as compared with H. pylori-negative ones (N = 38). The total number o f blood leukocytes correlated with the numbers of neutrophils, eosinop hils, and mononuclear cells in the gastric mucosa. The number of basop hils correlated with the number of mucosal neutrophils and mononuclear inflammatory cells. The results show that mucosal inflammation due to H. pylori infection is reflected in the amount of peripheral blood le ukocytes. Basophilia suggests involvement of allergic mechanisms in H. pylori gastritis.