Relevance of antigastric autoantibodies in Helicobacter pylori gastritis

: We have recently shown that antigastric autoantibodies occur in a considerable number of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infected patients. Particularly, autoantibodies to canaliculi within parietal cells of human gastric body mucosa are strongly associated with H. pylori gastritis. In this study we analyzed the implications of this type of autoantibody for histological and for clinical parameters of the disease. 126 patients with upper abdominal complaints were included in our study. Several histological and clinical parameters were evaluated. Presence of anticanalicular autoantibodies is significantly correlated with a higher degree of gastritis in the body mucosa, with atrophic changes in the gastric mucosa, with elevated fasting gastrin levels and a decreased pepsinogen I/pepsinogen II ratio. These data indicate, that the host's autoimmune response to canaliculi of parietal cells is of relevance for the pathogenesis and outcome of H. pylori gastritis.