HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ATROPHIC GASTRITIS ASSESSED BY ENDOSCOPY

Objective. To examine the role of Helicobacter pylori infection in the development of atrophic gastritis. Design and methods. Endoscopic, histological and microbiological methods were used to assess 110 patients without localized lesions, in order to evaluate the relationship between the extent and severity of atrophic gastritis and the presence of H. pylori. Results. H. pylori was most frequently detected in patients in whom the endoscopy showed mild or moderate atrophy (66 and 87%, respectively) and in those in whom the gastric atrophy was intermediate in extent (77-81%). The histological examination showed that the highest level of H. pylori infection occurred in patients with moderate atrophy (76% in the body, 71% in the antrum) and with moderate metaplasia (85% body, 88% antrum). Conclusions. H. pylori infection appears to be related to the ongoing destruction and repair processes in atrophic gastritis, being much less prominent in patients with a normal mucosa and in those with severe atrophy or intestinal metaplasia.