[Leukotriene levels of Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosa].

Helicobacter pylori appears to cause chronic active gastritis, which is characterized by infiltration by neutrophils. Leukotrienes (LTs), which are both chemotactic and cytotoxic, are produced mainly by neutrophils. We studied LT levels, H. pylori infection and neutrophils infiltration in gastric mucosa of patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia. LT levels of mucosa infected with H. pylori were higher than that in non-infected mucosa. There was a correlation between LT levels and neutrophils infiltration in H. pylori infected mucosa. H. pylori was sensitive to lipoxygenase inhibitor, AA-861, both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with AA-861 decreased the severity of neutrophil infiltration. LTs may therefore be important in chronic active gastritis associated with H. pylori.