Table 2.

Proinflammatory cytokines and chronic inflammation

Proinflammatory cytokine production (median cytokine values in pg/mg (interquartile range)) in antrum biopsy cultures in Helicobacter pylori-infected and non-infected patients with different degrees of chronic inflammation (mononuclear cell (MNC) infiltrate). Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) secretion could not be detected in patients with normal mucosa. No patient with H. pylori infection had a completely normal mucosa, whereas no severe gastritis (grade III) was found in H. pylori-negative patients. Proinflammatory cytokine secretion was not different between matched samples of H. pylori-positive gastritis and H. pylori-negative gastritis. Significance for comparison with specimens without inflammatory changes: *P = 0.009; **P = 0.01.