Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on G-cell and D-cell density in children

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with abnormalities in serum gastrin concentration, antral gastrin and somatostatin content, and D-cell density in adults. We have studied the effects of H pylori infection in children. We studied 13 children positive for H pylori and 7 negative children. The median antral somatostatin content was significantly lower in the positive than in the negative group (0 69 [range 0 35-0 91] vs 1 31 [0 73-1 67] ng/mg, p=0 007). Both antral and serum gastrin concentrations were significantly higher in the positive group (30·1 [15·3-83 6] vs 14·8 [13·8-28·8] ng/mg, p=0·008; and 89 9 [59 4-313·2] vs 29·5 [13·9-71·1] pg/mL, p=0·006). Treatment to eradicate H pylori was successful in 11 of the 13 positive patients. With eradication antral somatostatin increased to within the normal range (by a median of 0 41 [0 21-0 86] ng/mg to 1 10 [0 81-1·55] ng/mg, p=0 016). Serum and antral gastrin decreased (by 37 1 [5 5-265 2] pg/mL to 52 8 [21 4-267 5] ng/mg, p=0 001; and by 8·0 [2·0-47 2] ng/mg to 22 1 [10·9-37 5] ng/mg, p=0·001). Eradication of H pylori also significantly increased antral D-cell density (8 [5-22] to 15 [9-22] cells per mm, p=0 031) and decreased G-cell density (138 [89-161] to 88 [33-121] cells per mm, p=0 016). The hypergastrinaemia in children positive for H pylori may be due to a deficiency of antral somatostatin, which inhibits gastrin synthesis and release.