Gastric ghrelin in relation to gender, stomach topography and Helicobacter pylori in dyspeptic patients.

Abstract

AIM:

To investigate the level of gastric ghrelin in stomach mucosa of dyspeptic patients in relation to Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection, bacterial cytotoxicity, topography and gender.

METHODS:

The study comprised 40 premenopausal women (19 H pylori positive) and 48 men (17 H pylori positive) with functional dyspepsia. All gastric biopsy specimens revealed normal mucosa or non-atrophic gastritis. Gastric ghrelin concentration was determined by Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The cagA and vacA strains of bacterial DNA were identified by multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS:

In general, infection with H pylori caused an increase in gastric ghrelin level regardless of gender and stomach topography. Significantly more hormone was present in both, non-infected and H pylori positive female samples, as compared to males. The distribution of bacterial strains showed cagA(+) vacA s1m1 and cagA(-) vacA s2m2 genotypes as the most common infections in the studied population. A tendency to higher ghrelin levels was observed in less cytotoxic (cagA negative) strain-containing specimens from the antrum and corpus of both gender groups (without statistical significance).

CONCLUSION:

An increase in gastric ghrelin levels at the stage of non-atrophic gastritis in H pylori positive patients, especially in those infected with cagA(-) strains, can exert a gastroprotective effect.

• Authors: Krystyna Stec-Michalska, Sebastian Malicki, Blazej Michalski, Lukasz Peczek, Maria Wisniewska-Jarosinska, Barbara Nawrot
• Journal: World journal of gastroenterology (World J Gastroenterol) Vol. 15 Issue 43 Pg. 5409-17 (Nov 21 2009) ISSN: 2219-2840 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19916170 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antigens, Bacterial
• Bacterial Proteins
• Ghrelin
• VacA protein, Helicobacter pylori
• cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori

Topics

• Adult
• Antigens, Bacterial (genetics)
• Bacterial Proteins (genetics)
• Biopsy
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (methods)
• Female
• Gastric Mucosa (metabolism)
• Gastritis (microbiology)
• Gene Expression Regulation
• Ghrelin (biosynthesis)
• Helicobacter pylori (metabolism)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Sex Factors
• Stomach (microbiology, physiopathology)