title: Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in autoimmune thyroid diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is increasing evidence for a link between Helicobacter pylori infection and the development of lymphoid follicles in the gastric mucosa. It is not known whether other factors may also play a role. The aim of this study was to investigate the role played by the host with peculiar immunogenic disorders, in the presence or absence of a known antigenic stimulus such as H. pylori. For this, we studied patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases and 30 dyspeptic patients without a history of thyroid disorders (as control group) underwent upper endoscopy. Lymphoid follicles and H. pylori status were assessed by histopathologic and enzymatic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Organized mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue was found in 73.3% of the patients and in 33.3% of control group. Lymphoid follicles were found in 87.5% of the H. pylori-positive patients and in 57.1% of the H. pylori-negative patients (P = NS). In the control group these follicles were present in 50% of H. pylori-positive subjects and in 14.3% of those who were H. pylori-negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  lYMPHOID follicles in the gastric mucosa are common in autoimmune thyroid diseases. Besides H. pylori infection, other factors (environmental, unknown infectious agents) or mechanisms related to the underlying disease may play a causal role.
authors.affiliation: Catholic University, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cammarota
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: De Marinis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valle
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuoco
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cianci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fedeli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*