No abstract

In 1998 Tazawa and Tsutsumi described for the first time a case of Helicobacter pylori (HP)-related gastritis characterized by the presence of a conspicuous plasma cell infiltrate with Russell bodies, and coined the term Russell body gastritis (RBG). A 59-year-old HIV-positive man complaining of recurrent epigastric pain underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealing in the stomach only hyperemia in the antral portion. Histology showed a moderate glandular atrophy associated with an expansion of the lamina propria due to an infiltration of monomorphous cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm inclusions and eccentric nuclei, somewhat resembling plasma cells. A diagnosis of HP-related RBG was made, after excluding, by means of histochemical, immunohistochemical stainings and molecular studies, a neoplastic process. A review of all cases of RBG previously described in the English literature is reported in order to examine the clinical, endoscopic and microscopic features of this histopathological entity and the possible pathogenetic mechanisms.

Results are reported for a small study of 11 patients positive for HIV and with chronic active viral hepatitis. Low dose zidovudine/interferon alfa-2b combined treatment produced a general reduction in alanine aminotransferase activities and increased the CD4 lymphocyte count, hepatitis B e seroconversion, and the loss of HIV p24 antigen. The treatment was well tolerated and progression of HIV disease was not seen.