INTERFERON-GAMMA AND INTERLEUKIN-4 SECRETING CELLS IN THE GASTRIC ANTRUM IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE GASTRITIS

Little is known of the function of the T cells in the inflammatory inf iltrate in Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis. This study thus m easured T cell in vivo activation by enumerating the frequency of inte rferon gamma (IFN gamma) and interleukin 4 (IL 4) secreting cells isol ated from the gastric antral mucosa in patients with or without gastri tis and in H pylori positive and negative gastritis. Fifty four sample s were examined for cytokine secretion. Four antral biopsy specimens f rom each patient (n=51) were taken during diagnostic endoscopy. One wa s used to estimate histological gastritis and the presence of H pylori , and three of the samples were used to isolate T cells by enzymatic d igestion. IFN gamma and IL 4 secreting cells were ELISPOT. Thirty four gastritis and 79% of those were H pylori positive. None of the sample s from noninflamed mucosa had H pylori. The numbers of IFN gamma secre ting cells per 10(5) T cells were higher in gastritis than in normal m ucosa (145 v 20 IFN gamma spots, p<0.01), and higher in H pylori negat ive than H pylori positive gastritis (371 v 110 IFN gamma spots, p<0.0 5). The frequencies of IL 4 secreting cells did not differ between gas tritis and non-inflamed mucosa. In conclusion, there is an increase in IFN gamma secreting cells but not in IL 4 secreting cells in H pylori positive and negative gastritis. It is not known if this TH1 type rea ction has a pathogenetic or protective role.