title: Prevalence ofHelicobacter pyloriInfection in Samples of Gastric Biopsies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection affects about 50% of the world population and its association with environmental factors and host properties is involved in gastric carcinogenesis. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence ofH. pyloriin samples of gastric mucosa biopsies, correlate the presence of the bacteria in the sample with the variables age, sex and origin, to identify the types of lesions found in patients withH. pylori, and to evaluate the association of the lesions with the region of the gastric mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil, from January 2013 to December 2015. A total of 45,206 gastric mucosal biopsies were obtained from patients submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Of the reports evaluated, 12,909 met the inclusion criteria since they presented the patient's demographic data as well as the histopathological characteristics of gastric mucosal regions and positivity forH. pylori. Data were analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistic 20 and subjected to descriptive analyses (categorical variables) and inferential (Pearson's Qui-square and linear association tests) and multiple correspondence analyses. Significance level adopted 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total of 12,909 (28.6%) reports evaluated, 67% (8,647) came from urban areas and 64.5% (8,320) were female. The mean age (standard deviation (SD)) was 43 years, ranging from 8 to 100 years, prevailing between 21 and 60 years. Among the types of gastric mucosa analyzed, 95.5% (12,322) were of the antral mucosa. The absence of glandular atrophy, the mild infection intensity forH. pylori, the absence of metaplasia, the presence of foveolar hyperplasia and lymphoid follicles were statistically significant (P < 0.001) in this region. In the fundic region, the evidence of fibrinoleucocytic crust and lymphoid follicles was significant (P < 0.001). There was no evidence of associated ulcerated lesions or significant relationship with intestinal metaplasia in the antral mucosa, whereas the fundic mucosa had a strong association with lymphoid follicles. The prevalence of activeH. pyloriinfection in this study was 30.93%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection rate ofH. pyloriand its association with acute and chronic inflammation should be taken into account. The antral region has shown higher incidence and the presence ofH. pyloriwas strongly associated with foveolar hyperplasia and lymphoid follicles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leda Maria Delmondes Freitas
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Trindade
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lania Barreto de Oliveira
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adozina Marques
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Souza Neta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Candido
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leite Rolemberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tiradentes University, Aracaju 49032-490, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lais Dantas
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Biometrics and Applied Statistics - PPGBEA - UFRPE, Aracaju 49160-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ikaro Daniel de Carvalho
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy Dra. Monica Araujo (LAPMA), Aracaju 49015-230, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meurer
keywords: Atrophy; Gastric mucosa; Helicobacter pylori; Intestinal metaplasia; Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori