Cytokines in the gastric mucosa of children with Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Aim: Few studies have looked at the cytokine profile in gastric mucosa in children with Helicobacter pylori infection. This study investigated cytokines and their effects on histological abnormalities in the gastric mucosa of children with H. pylori infection. Methods: The levels of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and IL‐8 proteins were measured in biopsy specimens from the gastric antrum and corpus of children with H. pylori infection, and related to inflammatory cell infiltrations. Results: The antral and corporal mucosal levels of IFN‐γ and IL‐8 proteins were significantly higher in children with H. pylori infection than in uninfected children, but there was no such difference in the levels of IL‐4 protein. The antral mucosal level of IL‐8 protein was significantly higher than the corporal mucosal level of IL‐8 protein in the infected children. Inflammatory cell infiltration was significantly higher in the infected children than in the uninfected children, but there were no significant correlations between mucosal cytokine levels and inflammatory cell infiltrations. Conclusion: The results suggest that the predominant Th1 cytokine response and enhanced IL‐8 production in the mucosa may be involved in the gastric inflammation seen in children infected with H. pylori, as well as in adult patients.

Enhanced gastric IL-18 mRNA expression in Helicobacter pylori-infected children is associated with macrophage infiltration, IL-8, and IL-1β mRNA expression

“…Increased mucosal concentrations of IL-18 have been also found in Crohn's disease, suggesting its involvement in promoting Th1 proinflammatory responses in the gastrointestinal mucosa [10]. Such a Th1-predominant responses in gastric tissue has been frequently observed in H. pylori-infected adults and children [22,23]. IL-18 has recently been shown to enhance IL-8 secretion in gastric epithelial cells in response to H. pylori infection [24], which in turn is likely to stimulate neutrophil recruitment into gastric mucosa [25,26].…”

Biochemical Markers of Bone Metabolism in Children with Helicobacter pylori Infection

“…Therefore, if pediatric infection represents an earlier stage of the H. pylori-induced inflammatory response, then both a different immunopathology and different patterns of cytokine expression could be anticipated in children compared to adults [34]. Although it has been reported in a relatively small number of studies that the local cytokine profiles were similar in H. pylori infection in children and adults [21,[35][36][37][38], these studies seemed to have some methodological limitations in reflecting the in vivo situation [34]. Further studies using immunohistochemical methods to avoid the limitations in methodology are needed to clarify the status of cytokine production in children with H. pylori infection.…”

Virulence factor cytotoxin-associated gene A in Helicobacter pylori is downregulated by interferon-γin vitro

“…Clinical samples show a significantly higher level of IFN-g in H. pylori-infected human gastric mucosa than in uninfected mucosa (Shimizu et al, 2004;Pellicanò et al, 2007), as do animal models (Cinque et al, 2006;Sayi et al, 2009). Clinical samples show a significantly higher level of IFN-g in H. pylori-infected human gastric mucosa than in uninfected mucosa (Shimizu et al, 2004;Pellicanò et al, 2007), as do animal models (Cinque et al, 2006;Sayi et al, 2009).…”