PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTI ON IN THE DUODENUM, ANTRUM AND FUNDUS OF THE STOMACH IN PATIENTS WITH DUODENAL OR GASTRIC-ULCERS,GASTRITIS AND EROSIVE DUODENITIS - HISTOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF 357 SUBJECTS

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was studied in 152 sub jects with a normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, 125 with duodena l ulcer, 25 with gastric ulcer, 46 with erosive gastritis and 9 with e rosive duodenitis. Two biopsies from duodenum, antrum and fundus were obtained from each subject during endoscopy for histological diagnosis and Helicobacter pylori search. None of the patients with normal endo scopy and 2% of patients with duodenal ulcers had Helicobacter pylori in duodenal biopsies. These last patients had a significantly higher f requency of Helicobacter pylori in the antrum (71%) than the rest of t he studied groups. Five percent of subjects with normal endoscopy and 5% of those with duodenal ulcers had Helicobacter pylori in the antrum . An active gastritis was demonstrated in almost all patients with Hel icobacter infection. Intestinal metaplasia occurred almost exclusively in the absence of Helicobacter pylori infection.