title: Chronic gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori in Mexican children: histopathological patterns.
abstract: The objective of this study was to analyze the histopathological patterns of inflammation, distribution, severity, and degree of gastric mucosa of Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-infected children in Northern Mexico, as well as the correlation between colonization density and inflammation intensity. We carried out a cross-sectional study of gastric biopsies performed on children ranging from 2 to 17 years of age who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for diverse gastroduodenal disorders. This study includes only children who were found to be Hp carriers, with positive results for tests of Hp antigens in feces and in gastric biopsy studies. We studied 107 patients (age 8.2 ± 3.7 years). In 47.7% of patients, the density of Hp colonization was low; only 21.5% had a marked density. Mononuclear leukocyte infiltration showed a similar distribution. Thirty-seven percent of patients had follicular gastritis. An acute inflammatory response was absent in 65% and mild in 20.6% of patients. When inflammation was present, it was primarily located in the antrum (79%). There were no cases of intestinal metaplasia or atrophy. A link was found between Hp density and age, infiltration by mononuclear cells, the presence of follicular gastritis, and the level of neutrophil infiltration (P  =  0.001). Despite the high rates of Hp infection in the region, the histopathological findings in these children were mild and were limited primarily to the antral mucosa. These data indicate the need to study the behavior of this disease in children in diverse study populations to provide localized prevention and treatment strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. yolandaj@prodigy.net.mx
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jaramillo-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nares-Cisneros
authors.forename: Verónica Araceli
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Ordaz
authors.forename: Víctor Manuel
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Velasco-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Francisco Carlos López
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Márquez
authors.forename: Luis Enrique
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Manríquez-Covarrubias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008800:Mexico