title: [Helicobacter pylori infection in symptomatic patients with benign gastroduodenal diseases: analysis of 5.664 cases].
abstract: Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is highly prevalent in Chile, but there are no systematic studies in patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection, according to age, gender and endoscopic pathology in a large sample of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 7,893 symptomatic patients submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between July 1996 and December 2003 in the context of a screening program of gastric cancer in a high risk population. H. pylori infection was determined by rapid urease test (RUT) in antral mucosa. We excluded 158 patients with gastric cancer (2%) and 2,071 patients without RUT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 5,664 patients, mean age 50.7 +/- 13.9 years, women 72.1%. Endoscopic diagnoses were normal in 59.3%, erosive esophagitis in 20%, gastric ulcer (GU) in 8.1%, duodenal ulcer (DU) in 6.4%, and erosive gastropathy in 6.2%. RUT was positive in 78% of patients. After adjusting for age and sex and with respect to patients with normal endoscopy, frequency of H. pylori infection was 86.6% in DU (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5-2.8, p < 0.001); 81.4% in GU (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.4; p < 0.001 ); 79.9% in erosive gastropathy (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.03-1.8; p = 0.03) and 77.4% in erosive esophagitis (OR 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9-1.3; p = NS). The probability of H. pylori infection decreased significantly with age, more markedly in men with normal endoscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of H. pylori infection is very high in symptomatic Chilean patients and even higher in those with gastroduodenal ulcer or erosions, while in patients with erosive esophagitis is similar to those with normal endoscopy. The frequency of infection decreases with age, probably as a consequence of rising frequency of gastric mucosal atrophy.
authors.affiliation: Servico de Medicina, Hospital Dr. Sótero del Río, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan Pablo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Espino
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo B
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verdugo
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pruyas
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Villarroel
authors.forename: Oslando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riquelme
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rollán
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult