Purpose@#
Gastric delta cells (D-
cells ), which are
somatostatin-secreting cells , are the main paracrine inhibitor of
acid secretion . The number of D-
cells was studied in
children presenting with upper gastrointestinal (UGI)
disease . @*
Methods @#We retrospectively investigated the number of D-
cells in the gastric body and antrum through
immunofluorescence examinations according to symptoms, endoscopic findings, and
Helicobacter pylori infection in 75
children who visited Hanyang
University Hospital Pediatrics . @*Results@#The mean
patient age was 12.2±3.3 years. The
male -to-
female ratio was 11.4. The mean D-
cell number per high-
power field in the antrum and body was 20.5 and 12 in
children with substernal
pain , 18.3 and 10.3 in
vomiting , 22.3 and 6 in
diarrhea , and 9.3 and 6 in
abdominal pain , respectively (p>0.05). According to endoscopic findings, the mean D-
cell number in the antrum and body was 14.3 and 6 with
gastritis , 14 and 9.3 with
reflux esophagitis , 16.7 and 8.7 with
duodeno-gastric reflux , 19.3 and 12.7 with
gastric ulcer , 16 and 13.7 with
duodenitis , and 12.3 and 4 with
duodenal ulcer , respectively (p>0.05). The D-
cell number in the gastric body was 2.7 and 8.7 in
children with current H. pylori
infection and non-infected
children , respectively (p=0.01), while those in the antrum were 15.5 and 14, respectively, with no statistical significance. @*Conclusion@#The D-
cell number was lower in the gastric body of
children with current H. pylori
infection . Further studies concerning
peptide -secreting
cells with a
control group would provide information about the pathogenic pathways of UGI disorder.