Relationship between Helicobacter pylori colonization and acute inflammation of the duodenal mucosa

A relationship between Helicobacter pylori colonization and acute inflammation of the duodenal mucosa was studied in 75 patients with duodenal ulcer and nine with endoscopically normal duodenal mucosa. A biopsy of the duodenal bulb in each patient was used for both detection of H. pylori and histological assessment of acute inflammation [polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration and regenerative changes of the duodenal epithelial cells]. Biopsies with regenerative changes showed a marked PMN infiltration, regardless of the duodenal H. pylori status. In biopsies without regenerative changes, H. pylori colonization was closely associated with PMN infiltration. Acute inflammation in the duodenal mucosa surrounding ulcers is caused mainly by acid, but our data suggest that H. pylori is another important factor in the development of PMN infiltration in the duodenal mucosa.