ROLE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN CHRONIC GASTRITIS - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic gastritis in a Japanese popu lation. H, pylori was found in 67% of patients positive for mononuclea r cell (MN cell) infiltration and in 75.8% of patients positive for po lymorphonuclear cell (PMN cell) infiltration, whereas H, pylori was fo und in 14.2% of patients without MN cell infiltration and in 33.2% of patients without PMN cell infiltration. The frequency of MN and PMN ce ll infiltration in H. pylori-positive patients was significantly highe r than that in H. pylori-negative patients. The frequency of H. pylori infection did not differ in those with atrophic gastritis from those without, whereas the frequency of intestinal metaplasia became signifi cantly higher in those with moderate and severe atrophy. There was no significant difference between serum pepsinogen I (PG I) levels in H. pylori-positive and -negative patients. However serum PG II levels wer e significantly increased in H. pylori-positive patients aged 40-69 ye ars. The serum PG I-II ratio was significantly lower in H. pylori-posi tive patients aged 40-59 years. These results suggest that H, pylori i nfection in the gastric mucosa plays an important role in the pathogen esis of chronic and atrophic gastritis and in the development of intes tinal metaplasia.