P. Gionchetti et al., ENHANCED MUCOSAL INTERLEUKIN-6 AND INTERLEUKIN-8 IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI-POSITIVE DYSPEPTIC PATIENTS, The American journal of gastroenterology, 89(6), 1994, pp. 883-887
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.