Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor expression in various types of gastritis: a specific role of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) represents a multifunctional protein of the gastrointestinal mucosa exerting antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. SLPI expression is generally induced during inflammation; however, Helicobacter pylori-mediated gastritis is associated with significantly decreased antral SLPI levels. The aim of the study was to investigate whether SLPI downregulation of gastric mucosa represents a specific phenomenon of H. pylori infection or is generally linked to gastric inflammation.

METHODS:

SLPI expression was retrospectively analysed by immunohistochemistry in 85 paraffin-embedded samples: H. pylori-induced (n=13), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-enhanced (n=18), autoimmune (n=11), lymphocytic gastritis (n=26) and H. pylori-negative controls (n=17). The intensity of the staining was semiquantitatively analysed using an immunoreactivity score. Statistical analysis of differences was performed using an analysis of variance test.

RESULTS:

In comparison with the control group, the SLPI expression of antral mucosa in H. pylori-mediated and lymphocytic gastritis was significantly lower (P<0.001), whereas epithelial SLPI expression was not affected in NSAID-enhanced and autoimmune gastritis either in the antrum or corpus, respectively. Both the H. pylori-mediated and lymphocytic gastritis revealed a significantly lower expression of SLPI in infiltrating immune cells (P<0.01), whereas immune cells infiltrating the corpus in autoimmune gastritis showed higher SLPI levels than the immune cells of other groups (P<0.03).

CONCLUSION:

The local downregulation of SLPI in antral mucosa is specifically linked to H. pylori infection and is not a general phenomenon of gastric inflammation.

• Authors: Istvan Hritz, Doerthe Kuester, Michael Vieth, Laszlo Herszenyi, Manfred Stolte, Albert Roessner, Zsolt Tulassay, Thomas Wex, Peter Malfertheiner
• Journal: European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology (Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol) Vol. 18 Issue 3 Pg. 277-82 (Mar 2006) ISSN: 0954-691X [Print] England
• PMID: 16462541 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory
• Proteins
• SLPI protein, human
• Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Analysis of Variance
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (adverse effects)
• Autoimmune Diseases (metabolism)
• Case-Control Studies
• Gastric Mucosa (chemistry, microbiology)
• Gastritis (chemically induced, metabolism, microbiology)
• Helicobacter Infections (metabolism)
• Helicobacter pylori
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry (methods)
• Middle Aged
• Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory
• Proteins (analysis)
• Pyloric Antrum
• Retrospective Studies
• Secretory Leukocyte Peptidase Inhibitor