title: Infiltration of Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucosa.
abstract: It is our hypothesis that if Helicobacter pylori could be demonstrated conclusively to have transgressed the mucosal surface into the lamina propria, this would help explain how H pylori recruits inflammatory cells. We report our immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings that demonstrate that H pylori can be detected in the lamina propria of the stomach, offering evidence of its invasive potential. We stained 67 endoscopic gastric biopsy specimens with Warthin-Starry silver and immunoperoxidase stains for H pylori. In addition, transmission electron microscopy was performed on 1 case. The presence of surface H pylori was associated significantly with active (P < .0001) and chronic (P < .0001) inflammation. H pylori could not be identified in the lamina propria using the Warthin-Starry silver stain alone. Immunoreactivity for H pylori in the lamina propria was detected in 20 (30%) of 67 gastric biopsy specimens. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the immunohistochemical findings. H pylori can infiltrate the lamina propria of the gastric mucosa, thereby proving morphologic evidence of its invasive capability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 619, 6th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
authors.forename: Nirag C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Jhala
authors.forename: Gene P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Siegal
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klemm
authors.forename: Barbara F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: Darshana N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Jhala
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005756:Gastritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016622:Silver Staining