Expression and clinical significance of vitamin D receptor and human β-defensin-2 in children with Helicobacter pylori infection and gastritis / 中国小儿急救医学

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and human β-defensin-2(HBD2) in children with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and gastritis.Methods:Eighty-one children who were hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology at Beijing Children′s Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 and underwent endoscopic examination were collected.They were divided into Hp infection group and non-Hp infection group according to whether they were infected with Hp.The expression levels of VDR and HBD2 between two groups, and the correlation between VDR, HBD2 expression levels and gastritis were compared and analyzed.Results:Among 81 cases, 48 cases were Hp positive, including 24 males and 24 females, with an average age of (11.4±2.7) years; 33 cases were Hp negative, including 14 males and 19 females, with an average age of (11.3±2.6) years.There were no significant differences in sex and age between two groups ( P>0.05). The positive rates of VDR and HBD2 expression in gastric mucosa of children with Hp infection were higher than those of children without Hp infection, and the differences were statistically significant (87.5% vs.39.4%, 79.2% vs.63.6%, all P<0.05). The expressions of VDR and HBD2 had no correlation with age and sex ( P>0.05). The expressions of VDR and HBD2 were positively correlated with granular degeneration of gastric mucosa ( r=0.384, P<0.001; r=0.258, P=0.020). The expression of VDR was positively correlated with the degree of gastric inflammation ( r=0.365, P=0.001), while the expression of HBD2 was not correlated with the degree of gastric inflammation ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The expression levels of VDR and HBD2 in gastric mucosa of children infected with Hp are increased.The expression level of VDR is correlated with the degree of gastritis and the granular degeneration of gastric mucosa.The expression level of HBD2 is correlated with the granular degeneration of gastric mucosa.But there is no correlation between the level of HBD2 expression and the degree of gastritis.