Change in apoptosis in the gastric surface epithelium and glands after eradication of Helicobacter pylori.
BACKGROUND
Change in apoptosis in gastric glands after eradication of Helicobacter pylori has never been reported.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the change in apoptosis in gastric glands after eradication of Heliobacter pylori.


METHODS
We studied 23 Heliobacter pylori-positive patients with duodenal and gastric ulcers, who were monitored for 6-12 months after eradication, and eight controls. Biopsies were taken from the antrum and body. Apoptosis was evaluated immunohistochemically using anti-single stranded DNA antibody. Apoptotic index was calculated by counting immunostained cells in surface epithelial and glandular cells.


RESULTS
In the surface epithelium, Apoptotic indexes were significantly higher in patients than in controls. In the upper portion of fundic glands, apoptotic indexes were significantly higher in patients with gastric ulcers (14.2% (9.3, 17.8)) (median (1st quartile, 3rd quartile)) than in controls (8.0% (2.0, 9.0), p < 0.01) and decreased significantly after eradication (3.4% (2.0, 5.3)), p < 0.01). In pyloric glands, apoptotic indexes were no different between patients and controls. In the lower portion of fundic glands, apoptotic indexes were very low, both in patients and in controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that apoptosis, not only of surface epithelial cells but also of glandular cells in the upper portion of fundic glands, increased in Heliobacter pylori-positive patients with gastric ulcers and decreased to normal levels after eradication of Heliobacter pylori.
Satoh
K
K
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi 329-0498 Japan. kiichi@jichi.ac.jp
Kawata
H
H
Tokumaru
K
K
Kumakura
Y
Y
Ishino
Y
Y
Kawakami
S
S
Inoue
K
K
Kojima
T
T
Satoh
Y
Y
Mutoh
H
H
Kihira
K
K
Sugano
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000032:analysis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded