Gastrin (G) cells and somatostatin (D) cells in patients with dyspeptic symptoms: Helicobacter pylori associated and non-associated gastritis.
BACKGROUND
Gastrin G cells and somatostatin D cells are important regulators of gastric acid secretion and alterations in their relative numbers may play a key role in gastroduodenal disease.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on the density of immunoreactive G and D cells in gastric antral and corpus biopsies from patients with dyspeptic complaints.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty two patients with dyspeptic complaints had two antrum and two corpus biopsies taken during upper endoscopy. The severity of inflammation and the density of H pylori were evaluated semiquantitatively. In addition, the density and distribution of neuroendocrine cells, especially G and D cells, were examined using immunohistochemistry. Patients were divided into three groups, those with H pylori positive gastritis, H pylori negative gastritis, and histologically normal gastric mucosa.


RESULTS
The number of immunoreactive G cells was significantly higher and the number of immunoreactive D cells lower in patients with H pylori positive gastritis compared with H pylori negative gastritis or histological normal gastric mucosa. The percentage of G cells as a percentage of mucosal endocrine cells was also raised and that of D cells was decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Helicobacter pylori infection produces alterations in the number of endocrine cells responsible for regulating acid secretion in relation to intragastric pH and feeding. The alterations correlate best with the severity of inflammation and not with H pylori density.
Liu
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. y.liu@amc.uva.nl
Vosmaer
G D C
GD
Tytgat
G N J
GN
Xiao
S-D
SD
Ten Kate
F J W
FJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000378:metabolism; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019863:Gastrin-Secreting Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005755:Gastrins / Q000378:metabolism; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D019864:Somatostatin-Secreting Cells / Q000473:pathology*
D002864:Chromogranins; D005755:Gastrins; D013004:Somatostatin