Background: We have previously shown that eradication of Helicobacter pylori increases acid secretion in H. pylori-associated enlarged fold gastritis.
Aim: To investigate whether locally produced interleukin-1 beta is possibly involved in the inhibition of acid secretion in H. pylori gastritis.
Methods: IL-1 beta release from the gastric body mucosa was determined by short-term culture of biopsy specimens in 13 patients with enlarged fold gastritis (all H. pylori-positive), five H. pylori-positive and 10 H. pylori-negative patients without enlarged folds. The acid-inhibitory effect of locally produced IL-1 beta was examined by [14C]-aminopyrine uptake assay using isolated rabbit gastric glands.
Results: IL-1 beta release was significantly greater in patients with enlarged fold gastritis, significantly correlated with both basal and tetragastrin-stimulated acid outputs in the H. pylori-positive patients (r = -0.591 and r = -0.641, respectively; P < 0.01), and significantly decreased with concomitant increases in acid secretions after eradication of H. pylori. [14C]-aminopyrine uptake was inhibited by IL-1 beta in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusions: Increased production of IL-1 beta caused by H. pylori infection is possibly involved in the inhibition of acid secretion in enlarged fold gastritis.