Source of group II phospholipase A[sub 2] in gastric juice.

Gastric juice contains both pancreatic group I phospholipase A[sub 2] (PLA[sub 2]-I) and synovial-type group II phospholipase A[sub 2] (PLA[sub 2]-II), which may play a crucial role in Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric mucosal injury. PLA[sub 2]-I present in gastric juice is derived from pancreatic acinar cells. The cellular source of PLA[sub 2]-II found in gastric juice is unknown. A specific cell type of the intestinal mucosa, the Paneth cell, is known to secrete PLA[sub 2]-II. The purpose of the present study was to define the source of PLA[sub 2]-II present in gastric juice. For this purpose, gastric juice was collected from 29 individuals during gastroscopy, and mucosal biopsies were taken from the antrum and body of the stomach and from the duodenum as well as from the jejunum of individuals with resected stomach, for immunohistochemical detection of PLA[sub 2]-II. The concentration of bilirubin in the gastric juice samples was determined to identify duodenogastric regurgitation. The PLA[sub 2]-II content was significantly higher in bilirubin-positive than in bilirubin-negative gastric juice samples. PLA[sub 2]-II was localized by immunohistochemistry in Paneth cells in three patients with areas of intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa and in Paneth cells of duodenal and jejunal mucosa in all patients, but not in any other epithelial cell type of the mucosa of the stomach or the small intestine. Inflammatory cells did not contain PLA[sub 2]-II. The current results suggest that PLA[sub 2]-II found in gastric juice is derived from the Paneth cells of the small intestinal mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]