Has peptic ulcer disease changed during the past ten years in Korea? A prospective multi-center study.
BACKGROUND
The incidence of H. pylori-negative, idiopathic peptic ulcer disease (IPUD) seems to be increasing with the changing trends of PUD and H. pylori infection in some developed countries.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changing trend of PUD and the prevalence ofH. pylori infection during the last decade and the prevalence of IPUD in Korea.


METHODS
We prospectively evaluated H. pylori infection and the characteristics of PUD in 895 patients with newly diagnosed PUD from September 2004 to February 2005.


RESULTS
The H. pylori infection rate in PUD was 72.0% and the proportion of IPUD was 22.2%. The proportion of gastric ulcer (GU) has significantly increased (47.8% vs. 44.3%) and the proportion of duodenal ulcer (DU) has significantly decreased (38.9% vs. 44.9%) compared with ten years ago. The changing trend in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in GU and DU showed an increase in GU (66.1% vs. 73.1%, P = 0.014) and a decrease in DU (79.3% vs. 68.1%, P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with our results of ten years ago, there has been a significant change in the distribution of PUD and in the prevalence of H. pylori infection in GU and DU. Patients with IPUD are not uncommon in Korea.
Jang
Hyun Joo
HJ
Department of Gastroenterology, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Choi
Min Ho
MH
Shin
Woon Geon
WG
Kim
Kyung Ho
KH
Chung
Yong Woo
YW
Kim
Kyoung Oh
KO
Park
Cheol Hee
CH
Baek
Il Hyun
IH
Baik
Kwang Ho
KH
Kae
Sea Hyub
SH
Kim
Hak Yang
HY
D001706:Biopsy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric