IN-VIVO EFFECT OF OMEPRAZOLE ON HLA-DR EXPRESSION AND THE MONOCYTE-MACROPHAGE FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH DUODENAL-ULCER DISEASE

It is not known if omeprazole possesses any action on immune system. T herefore, we examined the effect of omeprazole on parameters of cellul ar immunity [T-cell subsets-CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+)- and HLA-DR express ion on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs)] and on function of periphe ral blood monocyte-macrophages (PBMMs) [random migration (RM), directe d migration (DM), phagocytosis index (P-T) and HLA-DR expression] in 1 3 duodenal ulcer patients before and during 3-mo omeprazole treatment. The number of T-cell subsets varied at pretreatment values (p > 0.05) , whereas the percentage nf HLA-DR positive PBLs increased significant ly after 3-mo therapy (p < 0.001). On the other hand, all studied para meters concerning PBMMs (RM, DM, P-I and HLA-DR expression) increased significantly after 3-mo therapy (p < 0.001,p < 0.001, p < 0.003, p < 0.001, respectively vs. baseline values).