title: Endoscopic and histological findings and Helicobacter pylori status in patients with reflux and/or dyspeptic symptoms: a recent Greek cohort study.
abstract: The associations between symptoms and endoscopic findings have not been clearly defined. We aimed to assess the associations of reflux dyspepsia and/or symptoms with specific endoscopic findings, histological findings, as well as the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its CagA subtype. A total of 160 patients with dyspeptic and/or reflux symptoms underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Type and severity of symptoms during the last week were evaluated according to a questionnaire. Biopsy specimens were obtained from the esophagus and stomach. Presence of H. pylori was tested in tissue specimens and its CagA subtype in serum samples. Of the 160 patients, 70% reported reflux, 73.7% dyspeptic symptoms, while 43.7% of patients reported both. The major endoscopic findings were chronic gastritis (n = 134), hiatal hernia (n = 98), and erosive esophagitis (n = 55). There was no significant difference in the endoscopic findings of patients with and without dyspepsia except for the subgroup of ulcer-like dyspeptic patients with significantly more frequently erosive peptic lesions (25% vs. 8.7%, p = .01). Patients with reflux symptoms had more frequently erosive esophagitis (42.9% vs. 14.6%, p = .001). Types of histological lesions, presence of H. pylori infection, and its cagA subtype had no statistical difference with presence or not of any symptoms. Patients with compared with those without reflux or ulcer-like dyspeptic symptoms had endoscopically more frequently erosive esophagitis and erosive peptic lesions, respectively. On the contrary, there is no statistical difference regarding the histological lesions, the presence of H. pylori, and its cagA subtype in all subgroups of patients.
authors.affiliation: Charalampos Vasiliou, MD, is Specialist, Gastroenterology Department, Ippokration University General Hospital, Athens, Greece. Vasiliki Xiromeritou, PhD, MD, is Consultant, Gastroenterology Department, Ippokration University General Hospital, Athens, Greece. Georgia Kafiri, PhD, MD, is Director, Pathology Department, Ippokration University General Hospital, Athens, Greece. George Papatheodoridis, PhD, MD, is Associate Professor, Internal Medicine Department, Ippokration University General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vasiliou
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Xiromeritou
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kafiri
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papatheodoridis
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000473:pathology