title: Lactoferrin levels in the gastric tissue of Helicobacter pylori-positive and -negative patients and its effect on anemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine gastric tissue lactoferrin (Lf) levels of Helicobacter pylori- (Hp-) positive and -negative patients and its effect on anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases in which initial presentation was of abdominal pain and that were Hp-positive at endoscopy were included. Hp-positive cases and -negative controls were divided into two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 64 cases (average: 10.2 ± 0.4 years, 39 male and 25 female). Lf levels were subsequently studied on 61 cases. 45 (73.8%) of these were Hp-positive, while 16 (22.2%) were Hp-negative. In Hp-positive cases, mean staining percentages and density of glands in the antral mucosa were 45.5 ± 4.7% and 1.9 ± 0.1, respectively. Hp-negative cases showed significantly different values of 17.8 ± 4.5% and 1.3 ± 0.2, respectively. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin values of Hp-positive cases were 12.7 ± 0.2 g/dL and 32.5 ± 2 ng/mL, but these were comparable with Hp-negative cases (12.6 ± 0.1 g/dL and 30.7 ± 4.4 ng/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tissue Lf was significantly higher in Hp-positive cases compared to Hp-negative cases, but no difference was observed between the two groups with regards to hemoglobin and ferritin level. As a result, it is difficult to say that this rise in Lf plays a role in the development of iron deficiency anemia in Hp-positive patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, İstanbul University, İstanbul 23119, Turkey. yasardogan@ttmail.com
authors.forename: Yaşar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Tülay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erkan
authors.forename: Zerrin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Önal
authors.forename: Merve
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usta
authors.forename: Gülen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doğusoy
authors.forename: Fügen Çullu
authors.initials: FÇ
authors.lastname: Çokuğraş
authors.forename: Tufan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kutlu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin