title: [The changes of ammonia and epidermal growth factor concentration in gastric juice before and after the Helicobacter pylori eradication].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the cause of peptic ulcer diseases, and gastric cancer. Hydrolysis of urea generating ammonia may cause cytotoxic effects on the gastric epithelium. The ammonia may induce the synthesis of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in gastric epithelium as an adaptive cytoprotective mechanism. The first aim was to examine the concentration of ammonia and EGF in gastric juice before and after H. pylori eradication in functional dyspepsia patients. The second aim was to examine the correlation among ammonia concentration, EGF concentration, and inflammatory score of gastritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentration of ammonia and EGF were measured by ELISA. The grade and severity of gastritis were measured according to the updated Sydney system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentration of ammonia in gastric juice was much higher in the H. pylori positive subjects (10,787 +/- 6,584 micro mol/L) than in the negative subjects (2,339 +/- 1,158 micro mol/L, p<0.0001). The concentrations of EGF in gastric juice was much higher in the positive subjects (1,462 +/- 393 pg/mL) than in the negative subjects (1,088 +/- 499 pg/mL, p<0.005). The concentration of ammonia and EGF in gastric juice showed significant correlation (r=0.63, p<0.0001). The concentrations of ammonia and histologic severities showed significant correlation (r=0.41, p<0.0001). Moreover, the level of EGF in gastric juice and histologic severities showed positive correlation (r=0.20, p<0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the concentration of ammonia in gastric juices increased, the concentration of EGF was also increased in functional dyspepsia with H. pylori infection. The concentration of EGF in gastric juice may play a role in the adaptive cytoprotection in H. pylori- induced gastritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Young Woon
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Sun Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Nam Hoon
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Keun Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Yong Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Yo Seb
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Seok Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Hyo Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung Ho
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joung Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Rin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000737:chemistry*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D000641:Ammonia