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Gastric infection with Helicobacter pylori is frequently characterized by neutrophil infiltration. The production of the neutrophil-activating peptide (NAP-1/IL-8) and mucosal IgA autoantibodies to IL-8 by human antral biopsies have been examined during short-term in vitro culture. Detectable IL-8 was secreted by 84% of H. pylori-negative patients with normal antral mucosa (range < 0.07-61.5 ng/mg biopsy protein, n = 19). Concentrations in 4 patients with reactive gastritis and 10 with inactive gastritis were not significantly different from subjects with normal mucosa. In H. pylori-positive patients with active gastritis and neutrophil infiltration into the epithelium (n = 17) IL-8 secretion was significantly increased relative to subjects with normal mucosa (P < 0.0001), inactive gastritis (P < 0.001) and reactive gastritis (P < 0.01). IL-8 concentrations in active gastritis were significantly correlated with the extent of epithelial surface degeneration (r = 0.64). IgA autoantibodies were present in 19 patients (13 active, 4 inactive gastritis) and concentrations were significantly correlated with IL-8 production (P < 0.001). Gastric synthesis of IL-8 is likely to be an important factor in regulating mucosal neutrophil infiltration and activation in patients with H. pylori infection. The local production of IgA antibodies to IL-8 may represent a down-regulatory response of the host to limit mucosal damage associated with a chronic bacterial infection.

Aim-Chemokines that play a primary role in active inflammation are increased in gastric mucosa infected with Helicobacter pylori. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer, whereas alcohol might exert an antibacterial role. The aim of this study was to examine the association between smoking or alcohol consumption and mucosal chemokine mRNA expression in H pylori associated gastritis. Methods-Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from 46 patients with dyspepsia who were infected with H pylori, and total RNA was extracted. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to quantify the mRNA expression of three C-X-C chemokines (interleukin 8 (IL-8), growth related oncogene (GRO ), epithelial neutrophil activating protein 78 (ENA-78)) and two C-C chemokines (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1)). Results-GRO and ENA-78 mRNA expression was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in 22 smokers compared with 24 non-smokers; however, no diVerence was seen in the expression of IL-8, RANTES, and MCP-1 mRNA. No diVerences were observed in chemokine mRNA expression in relation to alcohol consumption. Conclusions-The increased C-X-C chemokine mRNA expression seen in smokers might play a role in inducing enhanced inflammatory activity in gastritis and the consequent severe diseases associated with H pylori infection. (J Clin Pathol 2001;54:332-334)

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