title: Intensity of inflammation, density of colonization and interleukin-8 response in the gastric mucosa of children infected with Helicobacter pylori.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few reports exist on inflammation and interleukin (IL)-8 response in H. pylori-infected children. The aim of this study was to determine the intensity of inflammation, density of colonization and magnitude of IL-8 response in children with and without H. pylori infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 45 children with dyspeptic symptoms, 21 infected with H. pylori and 24 without infection. Antrum and corpus gastric biopsies were obtained and studied for H. pylori infection with an immunofluorescence technique and for IL-8 with an immunohistochemical assay. Biopsy specimens were stained with hematoxilin and eosin and gastritis was graded according to the Sydney system. The magnitudes of the IL-8 response and H. pylori colonization were estimated microscopically with image analyzer software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In H. pylori-infected children, mild mono-nuclear cell infiltration was found in 50%, and no neutrophils in 40% of cases. In the antrum but not in the corpus, the intensity of colonization correlated with neutrophil and mononuclear cell infiltration. The IL-8 response was significantly higher in the antrum (p <.05) and corpus (p <.02) of infected children, and was localized mainly in the surface and crypts of the epithelium. No correlation was found between the magnitude of the IL-8 response and the infiltration of either neutrophil or mononuclear cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In H. pylori-infected children, poor mononuclear and neutrophil infiltration was observed. Infection was associated with a higher IL-8 response by gastric epithelial cells. The density of colonization but not the IL-8 response correlated with neutrophil cell infiltration.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición Salvador Subirán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camorlinga-Ponce
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aviles-Jimenez
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernández-Pando
authors.forename: Onofre
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Soza
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008297:Male; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8