[Relationship between Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome with expressions of nuclear factor-kappaB mRNA and heat shock protein 70 mRNA in patients with chronic gastritis].

Objective: To explore the relationship between the genesis of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PDS) and the Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in patients with chronic gastritis (CG) by observing the levels of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) mRNA and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expressions.

Methods: Gastric mucous membrane tissues collected through gastroscopy from gastric antrum of 51 CG patients, 36 of PDS type (CG-PDS) and 15 of Pi-qi deficiency syndrome (CG-non-PDS) type, and 8 healthy persons (as control) were examined to diagnose the inflammation level with HE stain and to detect the existence of HP infection by rapid urease test and methylthioninium chloride stain. The mRNA expressions of NF-kappaB and HSP70 in the tissues were determined quantitatively with FQ-PCR as well.

Results: Patients of CG-PDS showed higher level of HSP70 mRNA expression than in the control; and level of NF-kappaB mRNA expression was higher than that in the control and CG-non-PDS (all P<0.05); but both expressions were insignificantly different in CG-PDS patients with positive or negative HP infection (P>0.05). Positive correlation of the two expressions was shown in CG-PDS with negative HP infection.

Conclusion: NF-kappaB and HSP70 may partially embody, in some extent, the power of vital qi and evil qi in the organism; the over-expressed NF-kappaB and HSP70 may indicate the severe fighting between evil qi and vital qi, and both would be influenced to a certain degree in the fighting process.