Morphometric evaluation of gastric antral atrophy: improvement after cure of Helicobacter pylori infection.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to find out if morphometric techniques can document long term changes in gastric antral atrophy after curing Helicobacter pylori infection with or without dietary supplementation with antioxidant micronutrients.


METHODS
Study subjects were 132 adult volunteers from a Colombian region with high gastric cancer rates. Participants were randomly assigned to ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, and anti-H. pylori treatment, following a factorial design. Gastric biopsies were obtained at baseline and after 72 months of intervention. Atrophy was evaluated by a standard visual analog scale and by morphometry.


RESULTS
Statistically significant changes in antral atrophy were detected with morphometric techniques after intervention in subjects who received anti-H. pylori treatment. A nonsignificant trend was also observed with visual scores. This effect was greater among those who were free of infection at the end of the trial. After accounting for the effect of anti-H. pylori treatment, no significant effect was noted for dietary supplementation with ascorbic acid and/or beta-carotene.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that gastric atrophy improves significantly after long term control of H. pylori infection. This effect can be demonstrated both by conventional histological grading and by morphometry.
Ruiz
B
B
Department of Pathology, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112, USA.
Garay
J
J
Correa
P
P
Fontham
E T
ET
Bravo
J C
JC
Bravo
L E
LE
Realpe
J L
JL
Mera
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001284:Atrophy; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D019207:beta Carotene; D001205:Ascorbic Acid