The cag pathogenicity island in Helicobacter pylori is not essential for interleukin-12 induction in monocytes

Abstract

Methods: Twelve patients with active duodenal ulcer (DU), and 10 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) were enrolled upon detection of H. pylori infection at endoscopy. Seven matched dyspeptic patients with normal endoscopic and histological findings were also enrolled as controls. Biopsy specimens were utilised for H. pylori and histological assessments, and for antral lymphocytes density assessment by an histomorphometric method. A blood sample was obtained from each patient to determine basal gastrin levels. All patients were controlled 4 weeks after concluding H. pylori treatment by a further endoscopy. Results: DU and NUD patients had both antral lymphocyte density (5464 ± 1328 and 5635 ± 1186 vs 2267 ± 557 lymphocytes/mm2; p <0.001 and p <O.OOI,respectively) and gastrin levels (66.7 ± 14.1 and 60.4 ± 21.7 vs 40.7 ± 7.8 pg/dl; p = 0.004 and p = 0.02, respectively) higher than controls, while no significant differences emerged between DU and NUD patients. There was a significant direct correlation between antral lymphocyte density and gastrin levels both in DU (r = 0.77; P = 0.003) and in NUD (r = 0.75; p = 0.03) patients, while no correlation was found in control subjects (r = 0.12; p = 0.8). After treatment, this correlation persisted in eradication failure patients (r = 0.68; p = 0.027), while disappearing in successfully cured patients.