Infectious Diseases
Micronutrient antioxidants in gastric mucosa and serum in patients with
gastritis and gastric ulcer: does Helicobacter pylori infection affect
the mucosal levels?
Nair S; Norkus EP; Hertan H; Pitchumoni CS
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 2000 Jun;30(4):381-5 Free
radicals (FRs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal
mucosal inflammation, peptic ulcer disease, and probably even gastric
cancer. Various micronutrients protect the gastric mucosa by scavenging
FRs. Only limited data is available regarding the concentration of micronutrients
in the gastric mucosa in patients with gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.
Our aim was to analyze micronutrient antioxidant concentrations in the
antral mucosa in patients with gastritis and gastric ulcer and to determine
the influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric mucosal antioxidants
in patients with gastritis and gastric ulcer. Patients who underwent upper
endoscopy for evaluation of dyspepsia were included in the study. Ascorbic
acid, alpha-tocopherol, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, total carotenoids,
lutein, cryptoxanthin, and lycopene levels were measured in the sera and
antral mucosal biopsies in these patients. The diagnosis of H. pylori
was confirmed by histology, urease test (CLO) and serology. Patients with
negative endoscopic findings and normal histology and no H. pylori infection
served as controls. In patients with gastritis, alpha-tocopherol levels
were reduced in serum and mucosa irrespective of H. pylori status, whereas
carotenoids and ascorbic acid levels were similar to controls. However,
in patients with gastric ulcer, serum and mucosal levels of all micronutrient
antioxidants were markedly decreased compared with both controls and patients
with gastritis. The degree of depletion of antioxidants was similar in
patients with either H. pylori-induced or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
drug (NSAID)-induced ulcers. Patients with gastric ulcer have
very low gastric antioxidant concentrations compared to patients with
gastritis and normal mucosa. This depletion in antioxidants seems to be
a nonspecific response and was not related to H. pylori infection. |