title: Reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with scleroderma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga.
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iwakiri
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujise
authors.forename: Hibiki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ootani
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shimoda
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsunada
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ushiyama
authors.forename: Syuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koarada
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: 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*