HELICOBACTER-PYLORI, GASTRITIS AND NONULCER DYSPEPSIA IN ETHIOPIAN PATIENTS

The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of Helicobacter py lori infection in patients with nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD) and asymptoma tic controls and to see if there is an etiological association between gastritis, NUD and Helicobacter pylori. One hundred thirty six patien ts with NUD and 71 controls had six endoscopic biopsies from different sites of the gastric mucosa for histological diagnosis. Helicobacter pylori was looked for in all biopsy specimens utilizing half Gram, Gie msa and Gimenez staining techniques. Type B chronic gastritis was dete cted in 96% of the NUD cases and in 100% of the asymptomatic controls (P > 0.05). Helicobacter pylori was found in 82 (65%) patients with NU D and in 38 (56%) asymptomatic controls (P > 0.05). Type B chronic gas tritis is almost universal in both NUD cases and asymptomatic controls . There is no difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infe ction between the two groups. The absence of Helicobacter pylori in a significant number of patients (36%) and controls (45%) with gastritis contradicts the etiological association between Helicobacter pylori a nd gastritis reported by others, suggesting that in Ethiopia there may be a chronic environmental gastritis which may not be helicobacter-re lated. There is no correlation between NUD and Type B gastritis, and b etween symptoms and Helicobacter pylori infection in this population.