Age dependent hypergastrinaemia in children with Helicobacter pylori gastritis--evidence of early acquisition of infection.
Acute Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis causes achlorhydria, a powerful stimulus to gastrin secretion. If H pylori infection is acquired primarily in early childhood, then the degree of hypergastrinaemia in seropositive children should be age dependent. Anti-Helicobacter antibodies and fasting gastrin concentrations were measured in 439 children aged 4 to 13 years attending hospital for routine day case surgery not connected with any gastrointestinal disorder. Thirty per cent were seropositive for H pylori. There was an inverse relationship between the fasting gastrin concentration and age; the mean fasting gastrin in children aged 4-5 years, 155 ng/l, was significantly higher than that seen in children aged 12-13 years, 90 ng/l. The more noticeable hypergastrinaemia seen in young children with H pylori associated gastritis may reflect achlorhydria associated with acute H pylori infection and suggests that this is primarily acquired in early childhood.
McCallion
W A
WA
Royal Belfast Hospital For Sick Children.
Ardill
J E
JE
Bamford
K B
KB
Potts
S R
SR
Boston
V E
VE
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D005755:Gastrins