Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with chronic pancreatitis and duodenal ulcer.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of duodenal ulcer is high in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Patients with simple duodenal ulcer without chronic pancreatitis are mostly Helicobacter pylori-infected, and the prevalence of IgG seropositivity is > 95%. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with chronic pancreatitis is not known.


METHODS
IgG antibodies against H. pylori were measured in a cross-sectional survey of consecutive patients who had their exocrine pancreas function examined with a Lundh meal test in the period 1988-95 and in a control group of patients with simple duodenal ulcer.


RESULTS
Twenty-seven per cent of the patients with chronic pancreatitis had duodenal ulcer during the observation period. The prevalence of IgG antibodies against H. pylori was 22% in patients with chronic pancreatitis without duodenal ulcer as compared with 27% with non-organic abdominal pain. The prevalence of IgG antibodies against H. pylori was 60% in patients with chronic pancreatitis complicated by duodenal ulcer as compared with 86% in controls with simple duodenal ulcer.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori infection contributes but may not be the only cause of duodenal ulcer in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
Niemann
T
T
Dept. of Medicine, Herning Central Hospital, Denmark.
Larsen
S
S
Mouritsen
E A
EA
Thorsgaard
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors
D007074:Immunoglobulin G