Gastric alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations in association with Helicobacter pylori infection

Objective The effects of Helicobacter pylori infection and its associated g astric histology on alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations in se rum, gastric juice and antral mucosa were investigated in patients undergoi ng routine gastroscopy for investigation of dyspepsia. Method Eighty-six patients were studied. Highperformance liquid chromatogra phy was used to measure alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations. H. pylori infection was assessed by histology, bacterial culture, rapid ure ase test and serology. Results No obvious association was found between age, sex, smoking or endos copic diagnosis and alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene concentrations in ser um, gastric juice and antral mucose. However, alcohol drinkers had signific antly lower antral mucosal and gastric juice beta-carotene concentrations c ompared to non-drinkers. Gastric juice beta-carotene concentration was mark edly lower in patients infected with ii pylori than uninfected controls (2. 9 nmol/l (interquartile range 0.3-4.3) versus 4.6 nmol/l (interquartile ran ge 3.5-7.6), P = 0.01), but there was no significant difference in serum or gastric mucosal beta-carotene concentrations between the two patient group s. The presence of gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia was significan tly associated with reduced mucosal alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene conc entrations. Furthermore, antral mucosal alpha-tocopherol concentrations dec reased progressively as antral mucosal histology changed from normal to chr onic gastritis alone and finally to atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. Conclusion Gastric alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations are af fected by H. pylori-associated gastric histological changes, and these find ings suggest that H. pylori infection may not only impair the protective ro le of vitamin C, but also of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene in the stom ach. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.