PREVALENCE OF PEPTIC-ULCER IN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI POSITIVE BLOOD-DONORS

This study aimed to determine the importance of raised antibodies to H elicobacter pylori in an asymptomatic population. A total of 128 asymp tomatic blood donors who were seropositive for H pylori and consented to endoscopy were investigated. These subjects were from a population of 1010 blood donors screened for antibodies to H pylori. A questionna ire was completed to determine if any subjects had complained of sympt oms, and they subsequently had endoscopy. Altogether 121 of 128 were p ositive for H pylori by histology and urease test and/or culture and a ll 121 had chronic active gastritis on histology. Twenty five of these subjects had peptic ulcer (20 duodenal, five gastric), a further 21 h ad erosive duodenitis, and two were found to have gastric cancer. H py lori associated peptic ulcer disease and duodenitis occur more frequen tly than previously recognised and this suggests that H pylori infecti on, even if asymptomatic, is of far greater clinical relevance than or iginally thought.