Evaluation of clinical value of neopterin measurement in children and adolescents with chronic gastritis and/or duodenitis with or without Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract
Introduction: Neopterin is a modern marker of immune system activity and has proven value in diseases associated with cell type immune response. Neopterin can be used as a marker differentiating viral and bacterial infections. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate neopterin measurement in gastritis and duodenitis in children and adolescents with or without Helicobacter pylori infection.
Material and methods: The study group comprised 125 children and adolescents with abdominal pains from the Gastroenterological Outpatient Clinic. Every patient underwent endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Mean age of patients was 13.32 (between 3 and 18 years). The norm of neopterin was 5.4 ±2.3 nmol/l. According to the value of neopterin the study group was divided into groups with normal and increased value of neopterin. Analysis of concentration in correlation with gender, age, macroscopic diagnosis and histopathology by c2 test was performed.
Results: Values of neopterin were between 4.5 and 35.20 with mean 6.10 nmol/l. Correlation of neopterin concentration with H. pylori infection was analyzed and no correlation was found in both groups. Also, no statistical correlations were found for gender, macroscopic diagnosis and microscopic diagnosis of inflammation of gastritis and duodenitis.
Conclusions: Neopterin concentration can be treated as a valuable differential indicator of gastritis and/or duodenitis with or without H. pylori infection.