HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION AND GASTRIC-JUICE VITAMIN-C LEVELS - IMPACT OF ERADICATION

H. pylori has recently been recognized as a novel risk factor of gastr ic cancer, but its precise role in gastric carcinogenesis is as yet un known. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship bet ween H. pylori infection and vitamin C levels in gastric juice and als o to examine whether eradication of H. pylori could have any impact on these levels. Gastric juice and plasma Vitamin C levels were measured in 88 dyspeptic patients who had an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. In the subgroup of H. pylori-positive patients, eradication was attem pted with triple therapy. This subgroup was studied on two occasions, ie, before and after treatment. There were 58 H. pylori-positive and 3 0 -negative patients. Gastric juice vitamin C levels in H. pylori-posi tive patients were statistically lower (P < 0.001) than the levels in the H. pylori-negative patients. Triple therapy achieved eradication i n 45 patients (77.6%) of the 58 H. pylori-positive patients. Before H. pylori was eradicated in these 45 patients gastric juice vitamin C le vels were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than those after eradication , the latter being no different than the group of 30 H. pylori-negativ e patients. There was a significant (P < 0.001) improvement of gastrit is after eradication, which paralleled the elevation of gastric juice vitamin C levels. No difference was noted in plasma vitamin C levels b etween H. pylori-negative and -positive patients or in the latter befo re and after H. pylori treatment. In 13 of the 58 H. pylori-positive p atients where eradication was not successful there was no difference i n gastric juice vitamin C levels before and after eradication and the same was observed for the degree of gastritis. It is concluded that H. pylori-infected patients have lower gastric juice vitamin C levels in comparison to H. pylori-negative patients. H. pylori eradication rest ores gastric juice vitamin C levels, which may prove potentially impor tant in the prevention of gastric cancer.