Cyclooxygenase-2 expression in gastric antral mucosa before and after eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection

gastritis. The inducible prostaglandin synthetase cyclooxy-genase 2 (COX-2) plays an important role in inflammatory conditions. We hypothesized that H. pylori-associated chronic gastritis would express COX-2 protein. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of eradication of H. pylori infection on COX-2 expression in the antral mucosa of patients before and after antibiotic therapy. METHODS: Tissues were obtained from patients with non-ulcer dyspepia undergoing H. pylori eradication. Ten pa-tients with proven H. pylori infection and subsequent suc-cessful eradication were studied. Three biopsies of antral mucosa were evaluated before and after H. pylori eradica-tion. The amount of acute and chronic inflammation was quantitated. Immunohistochemical staining for COX-2 was expressed as a percentage of the total number of cells an