CURE OF AUTOIMMUNE GASTRITIS BY HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ERADICATION IN A 21-YEAR-OLD MALE

Background: More recent investigations have shown that in some patient s Helicobacter pylori (Hp) antibodies can act as antigastric antibodie s and lead to atrophic autoimmune gastritis of the oxyntic mucosa. The question thus arises as to whether this form of autoimmune gastritis can be healed by eradicating Hp.Methods: Case history of a 21-year-old man with active autoimmune gastritis of the oxyntic mucosa with lymph ocytic infiltration of the entire lamina propria, foci of lymphocytic destruction of a number of glands, and hypertrophy of the preserved pa rietal cells, but no signs of Hp in the Warthin Starry stain. The sear ch for parietal cell antibodies and intrinsic factor antibodies proved negative, while the level of the gastrin in the serum was slightly el evated. Since the presence of Hp IgG antibodies (243 U/ml) was confirm ed, Hp eradication therapy was carried out. Results: 15 months after H p treatment the Hp IgG antibody titre had decreased to 11 U/ml. The au toimmune gastritis had healed? and autoaggressive inflammatory infiltr ates with focal destruction of corpus glands and hypertrophy of the pa rietal cells were no longer detectable. Conclusions: Autoimmune gastri tis induced by lip may possibly be cured with Hp eradication treatment ; to confirm this, further controlled prospective studies are needed.