Original Article
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2009; 15(43): 5409-5417
Published online Nov 21, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5409
Gastric ghrelin in relation to gender, stomach topography and Helicobacter pylori in dyspeptic patients
Krystyna Stec-Michalska, Sebastian Malicki, Blazej Michalski, Lukasz Peczek, Maria Wisniewska-Jarosinska, Barbara Nawrot
Krystyna Stec-Michalska, Maria Wisniewska-Jarosinska, Department of Gastroenterology and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Plac Hallera 1, 90-647 Lodz, Poland
Sebastian Malicki, Lukasz Peczek, Barbara Nawrot, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
Blazej Michalski, II Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Lodz, 1/5 Kniaziewicza St, 91-347 Lodz, Poland
Author contributions: Stec-Michalska K conceived of the study, screened the patients, collected the biopsy specimens and helped to draft the manuscript; Malicki S carried out the immunoassay; Michalski B carried out the multiplex PCR and analyzed bacterial cytotoxicity; Peczek L helped to adjust the immunoassay and performed the statistical analysis; Wisniewska-Jarosinska M performed histopathological evaluation of biopsy specimens; Nawrot B participated in study design, interpreted the data and wrote the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by The Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland project N 402 307336 for 2009-2011 to Nawrot B and No. 2 P05B 117 28 of Medical University of Lodz, Poland (to Stec-Michalska K 2008)
Correspondence to: Barbara Nawrot, PhD, Professor of Chemistry, Head, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland. bnawrot@bio.cbmm.lodz.pl
Telephone: +48-42-6816970 Fax: +48-42-6815483
Received: August 1, 2009
Revised: August 26, 2009
Accepted: September 2, 2009
Published online: November 21, 2009
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.

Keywords: Dyspepsia; Gastric ghrelin; Helicobacter pylori; Gender