Correlation between epithelial cell proliferation and histological gradingin gastric mucosa

Aim-To determine if there is a correlation between the histological finding s in the gastric mucosa and the degree of cell proliferation in gastric ant ral biopsies. Methods-Cell proliferation in gastric antral biopsies was determined by in vitro bromodeoxyuridine labelling. Histological sections were assessed usin g the Sydney System. Results-There was a positive correlation between antral mucosal cell prolif eration and the acute inflammatory cell infiltrate (r = 0.29; p = 0.03). Th ere was a stronger correlation with the chronic inflammatory cell infiltrat e (r = 0.53; p < 0.0001) and the density of H pylori colonisation (r = 0.54 ; p < 0.0001). There was no correlation between gastric epithelial prolifer ation and the degree of atrophy. Stepwise multiple regression indicates tha t the only independent predictor of epithelial cell proliferation is the de nsity of H pylori colonisation (p < 0.0001). Conclusions-H pylori increases gastric epithelial cell proliferation throug h the mucosal inflammatory response and probably by other means. The strong correlation between epithelial proliferation, the chronic inflammatory cel l infiltrate, and the density of H pylori colonisation may have implication s for gastric carcinogenesis.