Animal model of human disease: lymphocytic gastritis.

Gastric specimens from 102 belonging to 11 different species were reviewed. Of the 11 species, only the gastric mucosa of pigs contained a large number of lymphocytes in the surface and in the foveolar epithelium (mean 82 lymphocytes/1000 epithelial cells, range 62-128 lymphocytes. The gastric specimens of the remaining 10 species revealed none or occasional lymphocytes in the surface or the foveolar epithelium. The occurrence of intraepithelial lymphocytes in the gastric mucosa of pigs mimics the human disease known as "lymphocytic gastritis". Since the etiology of this disease remains unknown, the apparently endemic nature of lymphocytic gastritis in pigs offer an alternative to investigate the possible cause(s), as well as the mechanism of, this disease.