title: Helicobacter pylori infection and duodenal gastric metaplasia in healthy young adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Duodenal ulcers occur relatively frequently in adolescents, like in adults, and may relate to Helicobacter pylori infection and duodenal gastric metaplasia (DGM). This study investigated the association between H. pylori infection and DGM in healthy adults aged 20-29.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1995 and 2005, endoscopic biopsies of the duodenum, antrum and body were taken from healthy, young volunteers, who were first-year medical students, faculty staff, residents, and research assistants of Gyeongsang National University in Jinju, Korea. Urease tests were performed and the extent of DGM and histopathological grades according to the Updated Sydney System were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 662 subjects were enrolled (429 males and 233 females). The median age was 22.3 years. The overall incidence of DGM was 11.5% but DGM was more frequent in males (15.4%) than in females (4.3%) (p<0.0001). While H. pylori positivity rates changed significantly during the 1995-2005 period (p<0.01), the incidences of DGM did not. DGM was observed in 7.2% and 14.9% of subjects who were and were not colonized with H. pylori, respectively. DGM was also associated with less severe chronic gastritis and the absence of active gastritis in both the antrum and body, and the absence of follicles in the antrum (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggested that DGM is not rare in healthy young adults and is unrelated to gastric H. pylori infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, 15 Jinju-daero 816beon-gil, Jinju 660-751, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hyun-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Chan-Hoo
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyang-Ok
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Hee-Shang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Gyung-Hyuck
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Seung-Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.forename: Woo-Kon
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Myung-Je
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Kwang-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Jeong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult