Correlation between CD4, CD8 cell infiltration in gastric mucosa, Helicobacter pylori infection and symptoms in patients with chronic gastritis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the correlation between CD4, CD8 cell infiltration in gastric mucosa, Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection and symptoms or the assemblage of symptoms in cases with chronic gastritis.


METHODS
Biopsy samples at the gastric antrum were obtained from 62 patients with chronic gastritis. CD4 and CD8 cell infiltration was evaluated by immunohistochemical assays on frozen sections of the biopsy samples. Fifteen symptoms referring to digestion-related activity and non-digestion related activity were observed. The correlation between lymphocyte infiltration and each symptom or symptom assemblage was analyzed by logistic regression and K-mean cluster methods.


RESULTS
CD4 cell infiltrations in gastric mucosa were much more in patients with H. pylori infection, while CD8 cell infiltrations were similar in patients with or without H. pylori infection. Logistic regression analysis showed that the symptoms including heavy feeling in head or body (t = 2.563), and thirst (t = 2.478) were significantly related with CD4 cell infiltration in gastric mucosa (P<0.05), and cool limbs with aversion to cold were related with CD8 cell infiltration (t = 2.872, P<0.05). Further analysis showed that non-digestive related symptom assemblage could increase the predicted percentage of CD4 and CD8 cell infiltration in gastric mucosa, including lower CD4 infiltration by 12.5%, higher CD8 infiltration by 33.3%, and also non-H. pylori infection by 23.6%. K-means cluster analysis of all symptoms and CD4 and CD8 cell infiltration in gastric mucosa showed a similar tendency to increase the predicted percentage of CD4, CD8 cell infiltration and H. pylori infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on correlation between the gastric mucosa lymphocyte infiltration, H. pylori infection and clinical symptoms, symptoms or symptomatic assemblages play an important role in making further classification of chronic gastritis, which might help find a more specific therapy for chronic gastritis.
Lu
Ai-Ping
AP
Institute of Basic Theory, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen, Beijing 100700, China. catcm@public.bta.net.cn
Zhang
Sheng-Sheng
SS
Zha
Qing-Lin
QL
Ju
Da-Hong
DH
Wu
Hao
H
Jia
Hong-Wei
HW
Xiao
Cheng
C
Li
Shao
S
Jian
Hui
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged