title: Intestinal metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori: an endoscopic bioptic study of the gastric antrum.
abstract: To study the relationship between intestinal metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori infection, 2274 gastroscopic antral biopsies taken from 533 patients were examined. Overall, intestinal metaplasia was found in 135 patients (25.3%) and H pylori in 289 patients (54.2%). The prevalence of intestinal metaplasia and H pylori was age related, being more common in patients greater than or equal to 50 years compared with patients less than 50 years (intestinal metaplasia, p less than 0.001 and H pylori, p less than 0.05). Intestinal metaplasia was found more often in H pylori positive patients compared with H pylori negative patients (33.9% v 15.2%, p less than 0.001). The mean age of intestinal metaplasia positive patients who were also H pylori positive was 64 (13.3) years, whereas the mean age of intestinal metaplasia positive patients who were H pylori negative was 72 (14.7) years (p less than 0.005). The extent of intestinal metaplasia was not statistically different in the latter two groups. Although our data do not prove a causal relationship between H pylori infection and the histogenesis of intestinal metaplasia it is suggested that H pylori infection is an important factor in the development of intestinal metaplasia, which is generally recognised as a precursor lesion of intestinal type gastric carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St Elisabeth's of Groote Gasthuis, Haarlem, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Craanen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blok
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferwerda
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Tytgat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology