Helicobacter pylori infection increases serum nitrate and nitrite more prominently than serum pepsinogens.
BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic gastritis and results in increased serum concentrations of pepsinogens I and II as well as gastrin, while the ratio of pepsinogen I to II (I : II) is decreased. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is induced in H. pylori-associated gastritis and may modulate inflammation. However serum nitrate and nitrite (NOx) concentrations in patients with H. pylori-induced chronic gastritis have not been reported. We examined differences in serum NOx between H. pylori-negative and positive volunteers relative to differences in pepsinogens and gastrin.


METHODS
Sera from 80 healthy asymptomatic volunteers younger than 36 years were analyzed for anti-H. pylori antibody, NOx, gastrin and pepsinogens.


RESULTS
In H. pylori antibody-positive subjects serum NOx concentrations were higher than in negative subjects (p < .005). In H. pylori-negative subjects, NOx correlated with pepsinogen II (r = .405, p < .05). In subjects with low pepsinogen I or II, NOx was higher in H. pylori-positive than negative subjects (p < .001). In subjects with high pepsinogen I : II (6 or higher), serum NOx was higher in H. pylori-positive than in negative subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori-induced gastritis increases serum NOx concentrations more prominently than those of pepsinogen. In H. pylori-negative subjects, serum correlates with serum pepsinogen II.
Kodama
Kanji
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan.
Sumii
Koji
K
Kawano
Masanori
M
Kido
Tamako
T
Nojima
Keiko
K
Sumii
Masaharu
M
Haruma
Ken
K
Yoshihara
Masaharu
M
Chayama
Kazuaki
K
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood*; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood*
D005755:Gastrins; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D020116:Pepsinogen A