title: Does Helicobacter pylori affect gastric microcirculation?
abstract: Chronic gastritis is frequently accompanied by Helicobacter pylori infection and associated with a reduced gastric blood flow. To investigate the possible relationship between the two phenomena, 20 outpatients with histological antral gastritis with or without concomitant duodenal ulcer, 10 of them Hp positive and 10 negative, were selected and compared with a matched group of ten healthy controls. Mucosal blood flow was measured in the gastric antrum by laser Doppler flowmetry during endoscopy. In both groups of patients with chronic gastritis the values were significantly lower than normal (p < 0.01), the difference between Hp+ and Hp- cases being statistically not significant. In six of the Hp+ patients, eradication therapy with omeprazole+amoxycillin was carried out because of concomitant duodenal ulcer. At 6 weeks eradication was successful in four patients, but perfusion values remained unchanged. Mucosal blood flow in chronic gastritis is reduced regardless of concomitant H. pylori infection and eradication has no influence on gastric perfusion. Therefore H. pylori appears to have no direct effects on gastric microcirculation.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Scientifico Ospedale S. Raffaele, Dipartimento di Scienze e Technologie Biomediche, Università di Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guslandi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sorghi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tittobello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000150:complications; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents