How closely is Helicobacter pylori infection related to gastroduodenal lesions?
OBJECTIVE
Various studies have indicated a relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and upper gastrointestinal lesions, but this relationship needs to be assessed in individuals not seeking medical treatment for complaints.


METHODS
We screened community residents for H. pylori infection and upper gastrointestinal lesions during an annual mass health examination aiming to determine relationships between infection and lesions. In 932 examinees we performed a 13C-urea breath test for H. pylori infection, and assessed degree of gastric atrophy by measuring pepsinogen I and II in serum. In 738 subjects we also performed upper gastrointestinal radiography with or without endoscopy.


RESULTS
Prevalence of H. pylori infection increased with age, and the ratio of serum pepsinogen I to II decreased with age. Prevalence of H. pylori infection did not differ significantly between subjects with and without radiographically or endoscopically evident lesions. Of H. pylori-positive subjects with peptic ulcer, 73.2% had no recurrence of ulcer despite absence of medical treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged H. pylori infection was associated with atrophy of the gastric mucosa, but little relationship was evident between H. pylori infection and development or recurrence of peptic ulcer.
Shimamoto
Chikao
C
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Osaka Medical College, Japan. in2021@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp
Hirata
Ichiro
I
Tokioka
Satoshi
S
Takeuchi
Nozomi
N
Hiraike
Yutaka
Y
Katsu
Ken-ichi
K
D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D001944:Breath Tests; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood; D020115:Pepsinogen C / Q000097:blood; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
D020115:Pepsinogen C; D020116:Pepsinogen A