HELICOBACTER-PYLORI DOES NOT MIGRATE FROM THE ANTRUM TO THE CORPUS INRESPONSE TO OMEPRAZOLE

Background: Omeprazole is known to have an effect on Helicobacter pylo ri in vivo. One opinion is that H. pylori ''migrates'' from the antrum to the corpus in response to omeprazole therapy. Methods: To determin e whether H. pylori migrates in response to omeprazole, rye assessed t he presence of H. pylori in the antrum and corpus in duodenal ulcer pa tients receiving omeprazole for 4 wk. Culture and histological examina tion of antral biopsies (Genta stain) were performed before patients r eceived omeprazole, at the end of therapy, and 4-6 wk later. The end p oints were presence or absence of H. pylori and the number of H. pylor i colonies per biopsy. Results: Seventy-two patients had H. pylori in both the antrum and corpus at entry and 4-6 wk after ending therapy, T hree general patterns were prevalent at the end of omeprazole therapy: antrum- and corpus-positive (54%), antrum-negative and corpus-positiv e (24%), both antrum- and corpus-negative (21%), and one patient had a ntrum-positive with corpus-negative (1%). Evaluation of the number of colonies per biopsy in those who remained H. pylori-positive in both t he antrum and corpus throughout showed that the number of H. pylori de creased in both the antrum and corpus during therapy (507 +/- 60 vs. 2 25 +/- 51, p < 0.01 and 415 +/- 58 vs. 290 +/- 46 0.1) for antrum and corpus, respectively, and tended to return to pre-therapy levels 4-6 w k later. The number of H. pylori in the corpus also decreased in the a ntrum-negative and corpus-positive group during therapy with omeprazol e (433 +/- 87 vs. 185 +/- 61, p < 0.05). In most of the patients studi ed, the number of H. pylori in the corpus was less posttreatment than it was pretreatment. The decrease in H. pylori load was also reflected in the development of false-negative urea breath tests. Conclusions: Omeprazole is detrimental to H. pylori in both the antrum and the corp us; migration from the antrum to the corpus in response to omeprazole is a myth.