Reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with scleroderma.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in reflux esophagitis with scleroderma.


METHODS
There were a total of 138 patients with scleroderma in our hospital between October 1998 and June 2005. Among these patients, 64 consecutive patients of scleroderma, who did not receive medication for gastrointestinal diseases, underwent endoscopy after informed consent. H. pylori was examined using an H. pylori IgG ELISA. The endoscopists graded esophageal mucosal breaks according to the Los Angeles Classification of Esophagitis.


RESULTS
Among the 64 patients, 37 patients (57.8%) were positive for H. pylori infection. Reflux esophagitis was observed in 10 of 37 H. pylori-positive patients and in 19 of 27 H. pylori-negative patients. Significantly fewer H. pylori-infected patients had reflux esophagitis than H. pylori-negative patients (p<0.01). The odds ratio for H. pylori infection and reflux esophagitis was 0.16 (95%CI; 0.052-0.47).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest an important role for H. pylori infection in reflux esophagitis with scleroderma.
Yamaguchi
Kanako
K
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga.
Iwakiri
Ryuichi
R
Hara
Megumi
M
Kikkawa
Atsushi
A
Fujise
Takehiro
T
Ootani
Hibiki
H
Shimoda
Ryo
R
Tsunada
Seiji
S
Sakata
Hiroyuki
H
Ushiyama
Osamu
O
Koarada
Syuichi
S
Tada
Yoshifumi
Y
Nagasawa
Kohei
K
Fujimoto
Kazuma
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications*