RESUMO
Gastric biopsy specimens taken from 44 children aged 7 to 15 years who had a clinical diagnosis of chronic gastritis (CG) were studied. In Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-associated CG (n = 24), there were accelerated cell regeneration processes in the antral and fundal mucosae as compared with the rate of proliferation and apoptosis in Hp-unassociated CG (n = 20). The increased proliferation of gastric mucosal (GM) elements has been shown to be associated with the high density of EGFR, in Hp-associated CG in particular, which is generally observed in the insufficient level of TGFR-beta. The authors have ascertained the important role and heterodirectional functional load of EGFR and NGFR-beta in the pathogenesis of CG. This disease is characterized by the maximum EGRF expression that is directly correlated with the rate of cell regeneration processes and the activity of an inflammatory process. Moreover, the rate of proliferation and apoptosis are associated with the increased expression of EGRF on the other hand and with the inadequate reperesenation of TGFR-beta on the GM cell membranes, which is particularly prominent in children with Hp-associated CG.