GASTRITIS CLASSIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SYDNEY SYSTEM IN PATIENTSWITH PRIMARY SJOGRENS-SYNDROME

Background: According to some earlier reports, chronic atrophic gastri tis is a common finding in Sjogren's syndrome. However, the findings a re controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurre nce of gastritis classified in accordance with the Sydney System in pa tients with primary Sjogren's syndrome. Methods: Thirty-two consecutiv e patients (27 women, 5 men) with primary Sjogren's syndrome, and 64 a ge- and sex-matched control subjects with dyspepsia underwent gastrosc opic examination. Mucosal biopsy specimens were taken from the gastric antrum and corpus. Results: Eight (25%) patients with Sjogren's syndr ome and three (4.1%) control subjects had atrophic antral gastritis (P = 0.01). Atrophic corpus gastritis was more frequently found in contr ol subjects, but the difference was not statistically significant. Non e of the subjects had severe (grade 3) atrophy. Gastric inflammation, in either the corpus or antrum, was found in 85% of patients with Sjog ren's syndrome and in 61% of control subjects (P = 0.02). Helicobacter pylori was present in 31% of Sjogren's syndrome patients and in 39% o f controls (NS). Conclusions: In patients with primary Sjogren's syndr ome mild atrophic changes in the antrum were common, but severe mucosa l atrophy was rare. Compared with control subjects, gastric inflammati on was seen more often in patients with Sjogren's syndrome.