Adherence of Helicobacter pylori to areas of type II intestinal metaplasiain Korean gastric mucosa

The aim of this study was to examine whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) attaches to areas of intestinal metaplasia in Korean patients. Gastric bi opsy specimens with intestinal metaplasia from 8 gastric cancers, 24 gastri c ulcers, 11 duodenal ulcers, and 57 chronic gastritis were examined. The s pecimens were stained with periodic acid-Schiff/alcian blue pH 2.5 and high -iron diamine/alcian blue pH 2.5 to identify the subtype of intestinal meta plasia, and then immunohistochemical stain was done with rabbit anti-H. pyl ori polyclonal antibody. In 17 patients, H, pylori attached to areas of typ e II intestinal metaplasia. All areas of intestinal metaplasia showing adhe rence contained sialomucin, and H. pylori was not detected in the areas of intestinal absorptive cells and sulfomucin-containing metaplastic cells.