title: Relationship between antral lymphocyte density and basal gastrin levels in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori causes hypergastrinaemia is not completely understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether antral lymphocyte density could play a role in this alteration.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 12 patients with active duodenal ulcer and 10 with non-ulcer dyspepsia were enrolled upon detection of Helicobacter pylori infection at endoscopy Enrolled as controls were 7 matched dyspeptic patients without Helicobacter pylori infection. Biopsy specimens were collected for Helicobacter pylori and histological assessments, and for antral lymphocyte density assessment by a histomorphometric method. A blood sample was obtained from each patient to determine basal gastrin levels. All patients were controlled by a further endoscopy 4 weeks after the end of Helicobacter pylori treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antral lymphocyte density (5,464 +/- 1,328 and 5,635 +/- 1,186 vs 2,267 +/- 557 lymphocytes/mm2; p<0.001 and p<0.001, 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) were higher in duodenal ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia patients than in controls, while no significant differences emerged between duodenal ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia patients. There was a significant direct correlation between antral lymphocyte density and gastrin levels both in duodenal ulcer (r=0.77; p=0.003) and in non-ulcer dyspepsia (r=0.75; p=0.03) patients, while no correlation was found in controls [r=0.12; p=0.8). After treatment, this correlation persisted in 10 eradication failure patients (r=0.68; p=0.027), but disappeared in those successfully cured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that lymphocyte density in the antral mucosa could play a role in the impaired gastrin production occurring in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Gastroenterology II, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Francesco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ballanti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winn
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diana
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Attili
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins