Objective: To investigate the role of cytokines and antral gastritis in the development of duodenal ulcer that associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.
Method: 48 cases of duodenal ulcer with different degrees of H. pylori infection (35 cases with H. pylori infection and 13 patients without H. pylori infection,) were investigated by measuring the level of gastric mucosal cytokines and the degree of antral gastritis.
Results: Compared with H. pylori negative cases, the patients with H. pylori positive duodenal ulcer had higher level of gastric mucosal IL-8, TNF alpha, MPO, MDA and severer antral gastritis. IL-8, TNF alpha, MPO and MDA were positirely correlated with H. pylori density and they were highly correlated with each other. However IL-6 did not have such specific properties.
Conclusion: Cytokines may be an important factor that links gastritis and duodenal ulcer associated with H. pylori infection.