title: Inflammatory changes of the gastric mucosa and serum concentration of chosen growth factors in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether there is a correlation between the severity of gastritis and concentration of chosen growth factors in the serum of children infected with H. pylori.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 64 children of whom 50% (Group I) were infected with H. pylori and had gastritis; 18.7% (Group II) of the examined children had a positive titre of IgG against H. pylori and normal gastric mucosa. Controls (Group III) comprised 31.3%. The gastric mucosa was evaluated histopathologically according to the Sydney System. The serum concentrations of growth factors: EGF, TGF-alpha, VEGF, were determined using ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean concentrations of the growth factors were also the highest in Group I compared to Group II and Group III (EGF - 137.3+/-10.4 pg/mL, TGF-alpha - 0.4+/-1.2 pg/mL, VEGF - 146.8 pg/mL). Analysis of correlations between growth factors and the severity of gastritis as well as the activity of antral gastric mucosa inflammation proved that mean EGF concentration in H. pylori infected children was the highest (149.5+/-84.8 pg/mL) in severe gastritis, whereas mean concentrations of TGF-alpha (2.0+/-4.3 pg/mL) and of VEGF (148.1+/-92.6 pg/mL) were the highest in moderate gastritis. Mean concentrations of EGF (155.1+/-116.4 pg/mL) and of VEGF (156.0+/-118.9 pg/mL) were the highest in high activity antral gastritis, whereas the mean concentration of TGF-alpha was the highest (2.0+/-4.2 pg/ml) in moderate activity gastritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the children with H. pylori infection, serum concentrations of EGF, TGF-alpha, VEGF were the highest in moderate and severe antral gastritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Period Medicine and Pediatric Nursing, Medical University, Bialystok, Poland. emaciorkowska@o2.pl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maciorkowska
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcinkiewicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaczmarski
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemona
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000097:blood; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000097:blood; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor