Helicobacter pylori infection and reflux esophagitis in young and middle-aged Japanese subjects.
OBJECTIVE
Helicobacter pylori infection rates are reported to be high in people over the age of 40 years, but are decreasing in younger age groups. A negative correlation has been reported between H. pylori infection and reflux esophagitis (RE).


METHODS
The subjects were 418 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and measurement of serum immunoglobulin G H. pylori antibodies examined as part of their routine health checks. Their mean age was 39.2 +/- 8.3 years (range 22-58). We analyzed the RE findings (Los Angeles classification: A, B, C, D).


RESULTS
The total H. pylori infection rate was 33.7% (141/418). By age group, infection rates were 15.7% in the 20-29 years group, 28.0% in the 30-39 group, 34.3% in the 40-49 group and 69.1% in the 50-59 group. The proportion of H. pylori-negative subjects with RE was 23.5% (20-29, 22.9%; 30-39, 31.7%; 40-49, 32.4%; 50-59, 41.7%), significantly higher than that (12.1%) in H. pylori-positive subjects (20-29, 0%; 30-39, 16.7%; 40-49, 12.2%; 50-59, 10.5%). The severity of RE increased with advancing age in H. pylori-positive subjects, but not in H. pylori-negative subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study, higher rates of RE were seen in H. pylori-negative subjects. It may be, however, that the presence of H. pylori infection influences the progression of RE.
Kawai
Takashi
T
Endoscopy Center, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. t-kawai@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Yamamoto
Kei
K
Fukuzawa
Mari
M
Yamagishi
Tetsuya
T
Yagi
Kenji
K
Fukuzawa
Masakatsu
M
Kataoka
Mikinori
M
Kawakami
Kohei
K
Itoi
Takao
T
Sakai
Yoshihiro
Y
Moriyasu
Fuminori
F
Takagi
Yu
Y
Aoki
Tatsuya
T
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006551:Hernia, Hiatal / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial