Ghrelin Levels in Gastric Mucosa before and after Eradication of Helicobacter pylori

Choe, Yon Ho; Lee, Jee Hyun; Lee, Hae Jeong; Paik, Kyung Hoon; Jin, Dong Kyu; Song, Sang Yong; Lee, Jun Haeng

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and ghrelin is controversial. We compared ghrelin levels in gastric mucosa and plasma between H. pylori-positive and -negative subjects, and between before and after H. pylori eradication.
METHODS
We compared the ghrelin levels in the antrum, body, and fundus between H. pylori-positive and -negative subjects; in stomach tissues between before and after H. pylori eradication; and in plasma and tissue in 10-person cohorts between before and after H. pylori eradication therapy. Body mass index, age, and sex were controlled for when comparing ghrelin levels.
RESULTS
Stomach ghrelin levels (in the antrum, body, and fundus) did not differ significantly between H. pylori-positive and -negative samples (p=0.095, 0.316, and 0.897, respectively), or between before and after H. pylori eradication (p=0.19, 0.178, and 0.513, respectively). In the ten-person cohort study, plasma ghrelin levels in the eight H. pylori-positive subjects were 2,260 pg/mL (range, 1,280-3,770 pg/mL) and 1,900 pg/mL (range, 1,350-5,200 pg/mL) before and after eradication therapy (p=0.871). Stomach ghrelin levels did not differ significantly in the eight H. pylori-positive subjects between before and after H. pylori eradication (p=0.732, 0.618, and 0.435 in the antrum, body, and fundus, respectively), or between six eradicated and two noneradicated subjects (p=0.071, 0.857, 0.429, and 0.857 in the antrum, body, fundus, and plasma, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
These results show that H. pylori infection has no effect on stomach ghrelin levels and that eradication therapy does not influence plasma or tissue ghrelin levels.