Cell kinetic balance in gastric mucosa with intestinal metaplasia after Helicobacter pylori eradication: 2-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Proliferation and apoptosis events are altered in Helicobacter pylori infection. However, whether H. pylori eradication has an effect on the disturbed kinetics in metaplastic mucosa has not been well elucidated.

AIM

To investigate the effect of eradication on the gastric cell kinetics.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Initially, biopsies were obtained from 74 H. pylori-infected subjects and repeated 12 and 24 months after eradication. Biopsies were immunohistochemically stained for apoptosis by single-stranded DNA, for proliferation by Ki-67 antibodies and for intestinal metaplasia MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6 and CD10.

RESULTS

While antral apoptosis in intestinal metaplasia was significantly lower than in non-intestinal metaplasia, proliferation was significantly higher (greater and lesser curvatures, P < 0.05, respectively). This resulted in a significantly lower apoptosis/proliferation ratio in intestinal metaplasia than in non-intestinal metaplasia (antrum greater and lesser curvatures and corpus greater curvature, P < 0.05). After successful eradication, apoptosis and proliferation decreased in both intestinal metaplasia and non-intestinal metaplasia. The pattern of reduction of apoptosis and proliferation differed in these two groups. However, in the corpus, the reduction resulted in a significant increase in the apoptosis/proliferation ratio in both.

CONCLUSION

Proliferation and apoptosis are unevenly and disproportionately altered in H. pylori infection leading to an imbalance in cell kinetics. Eradication of the organism improves the balance and may possibly play a role in the prevention of malignancy transformation in the metaplastic mucosa.

Levofloxacin based triple therapy as a second-line treatment after failure of helicobacter pylori eradication with standard triple therapy

BACKGROUND

Successful eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection after failure of standard triple therapy is difficult. The efficacy and safety of levofloxacin based triple therapy as a first-line therapy has-been studied.

AIMS

The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of levofloxacin based therapy after a failed standard triple therapy.

PATIENTS

We conducted a prospective, uncontrolled study of a consecutive series of 33 patients who failed eradication with 1 week of lansoprazole-amoxicillin-clarithromycin triple therapy.

METHODS

The subjects were retreated with 1 week of LA-LVFX triple therapy (lansoprazole, 30 mg twice daily; amoxicillin, 1000 mg twice daily: levofloxacin, 200 mg twice daily). Cure of infection was defined as negative results from culture, histology and a urea breath test 4 to 8 weeks after the second-line therapy.

RESULTS

The eradication rate was 69.7% (23/33) by both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses (95% confidence interval=61-79%). Seven (21.2%) patients experienced mild side-effects, such as soft stools and taste disturbance. No patient stopped the medication on account of adverse effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Levofloxacin based triple therapy is an effective second-line treatment after a failed standard triple therapy.

Variation in MT expression in early-stage depressed-type and polypoid-type colorectal tumours

Metallothionein (MT) expression is observed in various carcinomas, but its role is not fully understood. To clarify the clinicopathological significance of MT, 87 colorectal adenomas and 128 early-stage carcinomas were immunohistochemically analysed for MT expression. The degree of MT immunostaining of a specimen was graded according to the proportion of MT-positive cells; negative (<5%) and positive (focally 5-50%, diffusely >50%). MT expression significantly decreased with tumour development. For carcinomas, MT-positivity was significantly associated with depth of invasion (T1 60% versus T2 33%; P<0.01), vascular involvement (positive 35% versus negative 61%; P<0.01) and morphology (polypoid 62% versus depressed 26%; P<0.01). Regarding MT-positive distribution, the diffuse-positive rate in MT-positive polypoid lesions was 28%, while MT-positive depressed lesions were all diffusely stained (P<0.01). In conclusion, our results suggested that decreasing MT expression is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis and may reflect local invasion. Furthermore, MT-positive distribution may reflect genetic differences between the polypoid and depressed-type.