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. 2001 Sep;49(3):324–329. doi: 10.1136/gut.49.3.324

Gastric leptin and Helicobacter pylori infection

T Azuma 1, H Suto 1, Y Ito 1, M Ohtani 1, M Dojo 1, M Kuriyama 1, T Kato 1
PMCID: PMC1728440  PMID: 11511551

Abstract

BACKGROUND—Leptin regulates feeding behaviour and therefore may be a mediator of anorexia associated with acute and chronic inflammation. Recently, leptin mRNA and leptin protein were found in the gastric epithelium.
AIM—The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric leptin expression to investigate the pathophysiological role of gastric leptin.
METHODS—Surgically resected human stomach tissues were subjected to immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to check for the presence of leptin in the human gastric epithelium. A total of 201 H pylori positive patients with chronic gastritis underwent eradication therapy for H pylori and were examined for the effect of infection cure in terms of body mass index (BMI) and serum leptin levels. Biopsy specimens from the gastric fundic mucosa were obtained from 40 of the 201 patients before and three months after eradication therapy. These samples were subjected to quantitative RT-PCR to examine the effect of eradication therapy on leptin expression in the gastric fundic mucosa.
RESULTS—Leptin immunoreactive cells were detected in the lower half of the gastric fundic glands and a leptin PCR product was also found in the gastric fundic mucosa. H pylori infection significantly increased gastric leptin expression. In addition, cure of H pylori infection significantly reduced gastric leptin expression, with a concomitant increase in BMI. In contrast, serum leptin levels did not change significantly after cure of H pylori infection.
CONCLUSION—Leptin is present in the human gastric mucosa. Gastric leptin may play a role in weight gain after eradication of H pylori infection. Gastric leptin may have a local rather than systemic action.


Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; leptin; gastric mucosa; body mass index; gastritis

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

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Immunostaining of leptin in the human fundic mucosa. Leptin immunoreactivity was seen in the lower half of the fundic epithelial glands (A). Higher magnification (B). Scale bars 10 µm.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

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Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of leptin mRNA: negative control (lane 1), gastrocolic omentum (lane 2), and fundic mucosa (lane 3).

Figure 3  .

Figure 3  

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Relationship between the change in symptom score and change in body mass index (BMI). There was no significant correlation (r=0.10, p=0.189).

Figure 4  .

Figure 4  

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A calibration curve was constructed using four different dilutions of the mRNA obtained from the gastrocolic omentum. (A) Amplification plots of leptin; (B) calibration curve for leptin.

Figure 5  .

Figure 5  

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Relationship between the change in relative RNA quantification of gastric leptin and the change in body mass index (BMI). There was a significant correlation between the two (r=−0.69, p=0.0002).

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