TY - JOUR
T1 - Proliferative activity of gastric epithelium in progressive stages of Helicobacter pylori infection
AU - Panella, C.
AU - Ierardi, E.
AU - Polimeno, L.
AU - Balzano, T.
AU - Ingrosso, M.
AU - Amoruso, A.
AU - Traversa, A.
AU - Francavilla, A.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is the main etiopathogenetic agent responsible for inflammatory and ulcerative changes in gastroduodenal mucosa and the basis for both intestinal and diffuse types of gastric carcinoma. In this latter case, intestinal metaplasia is the intermediary between gastritis and cancer. In this study we describe the proliferative activity of gastric epithelium in the progressive stages of HP infection. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which has proven to be a reliable method for this evaluation was used as a marker. The study was performed on endoscopic biopsies of the gastric antrum of 40 patients, who were divided into five groups, eight in each group: normal histology and endoscopy, HP-; histological HP+ gastritis with normal endoscopy; histological HP+ gastritis with endoscopic evidence of chronic erosions; complete and incomplete intestinal metaplasia in a HP+ stomach. PCNA wad detected by immunohistochemistry and expressed as labeling index, ie, percentage of positive nuclei either in the whole or upper third of foveolae. Our data show a progressive increase of epithelial proliferation in the successive stages of HP infection ranging from gastritis alone to the development of incomplete intestinal metaplasia, a well-known precancerous condition. The proliferative pattern tended to expand towards the upper foveolar third, which in normal conditions does not represent a site of epithelial renewal. These alterations may be related to the development of neoplastic transformations of gastric epithelium. It is well known that genetic mutations are facilitated in proliferating cells. Therefore, our results indicate that the high epithelial turnover, expressed by PCNA LI, may be an indicator of increased risk of neoplastic changes in long-standing untreated HP- chronic gastritis.
AB - Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is the main etiopathogenetic agent responsible for inflammatory and ulcerative changes in gastroduodenal mucosa and the basis for both intestinal and diffuse types of gastric carcinoma. In this latter case, intestinal metaplasia is the intermediary between gastritis and cancer. In this study we describe the proliferative activity of gastric epithelium in the progressive stages of HP infection. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which has proven to be a reliable method for this evaluation was used as a marker. The study was performed on endoscopic biopsies of the gastric antrum of 40 patients, who were divided into five groups, eight in each group: normal histology and endoscopy, HP-; histological HP+ gastritis with normal endoscopy; histological HP+ gastritis with endoscopic evidence of chronic erosions; complete and incomplete intestinal metaplasia in a HP+ stomach. PCNA wad detected by immunohistochemistry and expressed as labeling index, ie, percentage of positive nuclei either in the whole or upper third of foveolae. Our data show a progressive increase of epithelial proliferation in the successive stages of HP infection ranging from gastritis alone to the development of incomplete intestinal metaplasia, a well-known precancerous condition. The proliferative pattern tended to expand towards the upper foveolar third, which in normal conditions does not represent a site of epithelial renewal. These alterations may be related to the development of neoplastic transformations of gastric epithelium. It is well known that genetic mutations are facilitated in proliferating cells. Therefore, our results indicate that the high epithelial turnover, expressed by PCNA LI, may be an indicator of increased risk of neoplastic changes in long-standing untreated HP- chronic gastritis.
KW - Chronic gastritis
KW - Helicobacter pylori
KW - Intestinal metaplasia
KW - Proliferating cell nuclear antigen
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029894241&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029894241&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/BF02088228
DO - 10.1007/BF02088228
M3 - Article
C2 - 8654143
AN - SCOPUS:0029894241
VL - 41
SP - 1132
EP - 1138
JO - Digestive Diseases and Sciences
JF - Digestive Diseases and Sciences
SN - 0163-2116
IS - 6
ER -