Light and electron microscopy study of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis and gastric carcinoma

ＬｉｇｈｔａｎｄｅｌｅｃｔｒｏｎｍｉｃｒｏｓｃｏｐｙｓｔｕｄｙｏｆＨｅｌｉｃｏｂａｃｔｅｒｐｙｌｏｒｉａｓｓｏｃｉａｔｅｄｇａｓｔｒｉｔｉｓａｎｄｇａｓｔｒｉｃｃａｒｃｉｎｏｍａＬＵＯＨｏｎｇＴａｏ１，ＣＨＡＮＧＷｅｎＨｕａ２ａｎｄＪＩＸｉａｏ...

Light and electron microscopy study of Helicobacter pylori associated gastritis and gastric carcinoma

AIM To investigate the morphological features of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) adhesion at the ultrastructural level and to explore the relationship between bacterial attachment and the severity of gastric disease. METHODS Gastric biopsies were observed under light and electron microscopy. Biopsies were fixed in formalin for histology and fixed in glutaraldehyde for ultrastructural examination. RESULTS Five hundred consecutive gastric biopsies of gastritis and gastric carcinoma were examined under light microscopy (LM). Hp was detected in 336 cases (67 2%), among which there were 135 cases (60 3%) of chronic superficial gastritis, 143 cases (76 1%) of chronic atrophic gastritis, 21(80 1%) of gastric ulcer, 28 (82 4%) of duodenal ulcer and 9(32 1%) of gastric carcinoma. Five cases were observed under electron microscopy (EM). The gastric epithelium colonized by Hp showed characteristic changes, including loss of apical mucous portion of individual cells, dropout of epithelial cells, and erosions. CONCLUSION There is a strong implication that the inflammation showing Hp infection is associated with epithelial degeneration. The direct relationship between bacterial attachment and cellular degeneration further supports a pathogenic effectuate, suggesting that the presence of Hp in gastric mucosa could play a role in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma.