Enhanced levels of C-X-C chemokine,human GROα, in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastric disease*

C-X-C Chemokines play an important role for neutrophil extravasation through microvessels. Although the level of interleukin (IL)-8 is known to increase in the Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa, another C-X-C chemokine, GROα, has not been evaluated in the H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal injury. The present study was designed to investigate gastric contents of GROα in relation to those of IL-8 in the gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected peptic ulcer patients. Thirty-eight patients with gastric ulcer and 41 with gastritis underwent endoscopy with informed consent and 49 were found to be H. pylori positive and 30 H. pylori negative. Biopsies from the gastric corpus were performed in each patient to examine the H. pylori colonization by bacterial culture, the rapid urease test and histological specimens as well as measurement of the contents of human GROα and IL-8. Helicobacter pylori infection was eradicated in 21 patients by triple therapy (lansoprazole 30mg, amoxycillin 2.0g, clarithromycin 600 mg; 2 weeks). The samples for GROα and IL-8 assay were homogenized in 0.02% aprotinin containing phosphate-buffered solution and the mucosal contents of GROα and IL-8 in the supernatants were quantified by sandwich enzyme immunoassay methods. The levels of GROα and IL-8 in H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa were significantly higher than those in the H. pylori-negative mucosa. There was a significant linear correlation between the levels of GROα and IL-8 (r= 0.798, P < 0.01). After the eradication of H. pylori by the triple therapy, the levels of GROα and IL-8 were significantly decreased. The GROα showed an increase in the H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa in a similar fashion as IL-8 contents, suggesting a pathogenetic role for GROα in H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal injury.