Mucosal macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha levels are increased in Helicobacter pylori infection

We examined the relationship between the levels of macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in organ cultures of antral mucosal tissues, background gastroduodenal diseases, and grades of histologic gastritis. Significantly higher levels of MIP-1 alpha and IL-8 w ere detected in patients with H. pylori infection than in those without inf ection. In H. pylori-positive patients, mucosal specimens from patients wit h peptic ulcer disease showed higher levels of MIP-1 alpha and IL-8 than th e specimens obtained from patients with erosive gastritis or those from end oscopically normal mucosa, and this was particularly pronounced in patients with duodenal ulcer. There were positive correlations between MLP-1 alpha and IL-8 levels and histologic grades of activity, inflammation, and H. pyl ori density as defined by the Sydney system. However, the degree of associa tion with the inflammatory cell count was different between these two chemo kines. MIP-1 alpha levels had a stronger association with mononuclear cells than with neutrophils, whereas IL-8 levels showed an association with neut rophils and mononuclear cells to an almost equal degree. These results sugg est that MIP-1 alpha and IL-8 may play important roles as inflammatory medi ators in the pathogenesis of histologically proven H. pylori-associated gas tritis.