title: Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with chronic pancreatitis and duodenal ulcer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medicine, Herning Central Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niemann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mouritsen
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Thorsgaard
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G