Significance of salivary epidermal growth factor in peptic ulcer disease in hemodialysis patients

Background/Aims: Hemodialysis (HD) patients are prone to developing peptic ulcers. However, of all the risk factors associated with peptic ulcers, non e have been shown to be more prevalent in HD patients than in the general p opulation. However, salivary epidermal growth factor (EGF) may play a role in peptic ulcer diseases. Methods: Salivary EGF levels and bioactivities were assayed in 47 maintenan ce HD patients and 30 normal controls, and the molecular weights of EGF wer e assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Salivary EGF levels were not different between both groups of subj ects (4.2 +/- 0.34 vs. 5 +/- 0.54 ng/mg protein, NS), and HPLC revealed tha t salivary EGF in both groups had similar molecular weights. However, saliv ary EGF bioactivity was significantly depressed in the HD patients as compa red to the normal controls (0.59 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.55 +/- 0.15 ng/mg protein, p < 0.01). Stepwise multiple regression showed that the low salivary EGF le vels were associated with female gender(p < 0.05), while low salivary EGF b ioactivity was associated with HD per se (p < 0.05). In the 22 HD patients who underwent gastric endoscopy, salivary EGF bioactivity was significantly lower in those with peptic ulcers than in those without (0.38 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.69 +/- 0.08 ng/mg protein, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Decreased salivary EGF bioactivity may contribute to peptic ulc er disease among maintenance HD patients. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.