ENHANCED MUCOSAL INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INTERLEUKIN-8 IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI-POSITIVE DYSPEPTIC PATIENTS

Objectives: To determine the concentrations of interleukin-1 beta, int erleukin-6, and interleukin-8 in tissue homogenates of mucosal biopsy specimens from Helicobacter pylori-positive and -negative patients. Me thods: In 43 consecutive patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, seven antral biopsies were taken; three specimens were use d for cytokine determination and the remaining four biopsies were proc essed for H. pylori detection. Peripheral venous blood was collected a nd IgG to H. pylori was assayed by an ELISA technique. Results: Twenty -nine of 43 patients (67%) were histologically positive for H. pylori; all had chronic gastritis. The mucosal levels of interleukin-6 and in terleukin-8 were significantly higher in H. pylori-positive patients t han in the negative patients (p < 0.001). A significantly higher perce ntage of interleukin-8 was found in patients colonized by H. pylori wi th active superficial chronic gastritis (85.7%), compared to quiescent superficial gastritis (12.5%) (p < 0.01), and the median and range we re, respectively, 400 (0-1000) and 0 (0-200) pg/mg protein (p < 0.001) . In patients with active superficial gastritis, a significant correla tion between interleukin-6 and -8 was found (p 0.01). No difference wa s found regarding the mucosal levels of interleukin-1 beta according t o the presence of H. pylori. Conclusions: These results suggest a poss ible pathogenetic role for interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in H. pylor i-associated gastritis.