Mast cells might be involved in pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia because they can release a wide range of potent mediators, capable of altering gastric nerve and muscle function. This study aimed to determine whether mast cell numbers were increased in the gastric mucosa of patients with functional dyspepsia compared to control subjects.

Biopsy samples were taken from the antrum and corpus of 111 patients: 20 asymptomatic control subjects, 62 patients with Rome criteria functional dyspepsia (33 Helicobacter pylori positive, 29 H. pylori negative), and 29 inflammatory control subjects (H. pylori positive). Mast cells were detected immunohistochemically by using a mouse monoclonal antibody specific for tryptase. Quantification was performed with light microscopy, and results were expressed as mast cells/mm² ± standard error of mean.

Mast cells were significantly increased in H. pylori negative functional dyspepsia samples compared to normal control samples in the antrum (230.1 ± 11.3 vs. 94.8 ± 8.4, P < 0.001) and corpus (264.1 ± 27.1 vs. 123.9 ± 11.5, P = 0.001). Mast cells were also significantly increased in the antrum of patients with H. pylori positive functional dyspepsia compared to asymptomatic control subjects (166.5 ± 17.0 vs. 94.8 ± 8.4, P < 0.03). However, there was no significant difference between mast cell numbers in patients with H. pylori positive functional dyspepsia compared to inflammatory control subjects.

Mast cells are increased in functional dyspepsia, independently of inflammation. This might contribute to the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia by altering signaling in the brain-gut axis.