High concentrations of human β-defensin 2 in gastric juice of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection

Table 1 Baseline characteristics

	H pylori-positive (n = 49)	H pylori-negative (n = 33)
Mean age, ys (range)	49.9 (25-72)	49.6 (28-78)
Male/female	24/25	14/19
Smoker	17 (34.7%)	12 (36.4%)
Alcohol drinker	16 (32.7%)	10 (30.3%)
Body mass index (range)	24.4 (17.1-29.0)	23.7 (16.4-28.8)

Table 2 Plasma and gastric juice HBD-1 and HBD-2 levels and gastric juice IL-1β and -8 concentrations

	H pylori-positive (n = 49)	H pylori-negative (n = 33)	P
Plasma
HBD1 -1 levels (ng/mL)	10.1±0.9	9.6±1.8	NS
HBD-2 levels (pg/mL)	276.2±61.0	257.2±56.0	NS
Gastric juice
HBD-1 levels (pg/mL)	384.2±101.5	357.9±79.6	NS
HBD-2 levels (pg/mL)	230.3±77.4	118.1±87.7	<0.0005
Interleukin 1β levels (mg/mL)	53.6±16.9	5.3±4.4	<0.05
Interleukin 8 levels (pg/mL)	17.9±3.1	8.6±1.7	<0.005

¹Human β-defensin, NS: not significant.

Table 3 Correlation coefficients between gastric human-β-defensin 2 levels and each histological parameter

	Correlation coefficient	P
Antrum
Activity	0.048	NS
Chronic inflammation	0.258	NS
Glandular Atrophy	0.148	NS
Intestinal Metaplasia	-0.063	NS
H pylori density	0.011	NS
Corpus
Activity	0.499	<0.005
Chronic inflammation	0.341	<0.05
Glandular Atrophy	0.294	NS
Intestinal Metaplasia	0.081	NS
H pylori density	0.237	NS

NS: not significant.

Table 4 Gastric juice HBD-2 and IL-1β and -8 levels before and after anti-H pylori therapy

	Successful eradication of H pylori (n = 10)			Failed eradication (n = 4)
	Before therapy	After therapy	P	Before therapy	After therapy	P
Gastric juice
HBD1-2 levels (pg/mL)	182.2±57.6	210.1±66.4	NS	137.4±65.2	112.9±79.3	NS
Interleukin 1β levels (pg/mL)	17.7±10.2	0.5±0.3	<0.05	88.5±80.9	64.7±64.1	NS
Interleukin 8 levels (pg/mL)	22.3±2.1	12.8±1.8	<0.005	18.1±6.1	18.6±4.5	NS

¹Human b-defensin, NS: not significant.