ON WHICH FACTORS DOES DUODENAL-ULCER HEAL ING DEPEND WHEN A HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ERADICATING THERAPY IS USED

Aim: To study the influence of various factors on duodenal ulcer heali ng, specially the success or failure of Helicobacter pylori eradicatio n. Methods: One-hundred and nine patients with duodenal ulcer and H. p ylori infection were studied, At endoscopy biopsies were obtained from the gastric antrum and body, and processed by microbiological (Gram s tain and culture) and histological methods (haematoxylin-eosin); also, a C-13 breath test was performed, A ''classical'' triple therapy (bis muth, tetracyclin, metronidazole) or omeprazol plus amoxicillin was ad ministered, Endoscopy and breath test were repeated one month after co mpleting therapy. Eradication was defined as the absence of H. pylori by all diagnostic methods. Results: H. pylori eradication was achieved in 60 patients (55%). In the multivariate analysis H. pylori eradicat ion was the only variable which correlated with ulcer healing (regr. c oef. = 2.4; OR = 10.6). Additional variables (age, sex, smoking, time of evolution, ulcer size, and type of therapy) were not significantly correlated. Ulcer healing was achieved in 92% of patients after H. pyl ori eradication, and in 51% of therapy failures (p < 0.001). Conclusio n: H. pylori eradication acelerates ulcer healing, which represents an additional argument for employing eradicating therapy in patients wit h duodenal ulcer disease.