title: Helicobacter pylori eradication and associated changes in the gastric mucosa.
abstract: Persistent Helicobacter pylori infection contributes towards the development of chronic gastritis. To clarify the changes in chronic gastritis as a precursor of gastric cancer secondary to H. pylori eradication is an important issue, as it has significant implications for reducing the risk of gastric cancer. Studies published to date, however, are far from consistent with regard to the morphologic changes reported following H. pylori eradication. Of these, some papers reported improvement in gastric atrophy or intestinal metaplasia, versus others reporting no improvement, with the majority of papers published after 2000 reporting improvement in these end points. The inconsistent results concerning the impact of H. pylori eradication on gastric atrophy could be due to the inconsistency of the diagnostic criteria employed for evaluation of the morphology, confounded by the difficulties involved in evaluating atrophic changes in the gastric mucosa. While adherence to the Updated Sydney System available for evaluation of gastritis is primarily required worldwide to ensure consistency in evaluating gastritis, long-term research into the morphologic changes associated with H. pylori eradication is also required to explore strategies for the prevention of gastric cancer with H. pylori eradication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Oita University, Faculty of Medicine, 1-1 Hasama, Oita 879-5593, Japan. murakam@med.oita-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: Ryugo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Tadayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okimoto
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujioka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001284:Atrophy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents