HELICOBACTER-PYLORI-ASSOCIATED GASTROINTE STINAL MUCOSAL LESIONS - DOES TREATMENT WITH NSAID INCREASE THE RISK

Endpoints Are there connections between Helicobacter pylori-induced an d NSAID-induced gastrointestinal mucosal lesions leading to an increas ed risk? Are there any diagnostic or therapeutic consequences? Methods Evaluation of H.P. infection, NSAID medication and mucosal lesions in 303 patients with rheumatic diseases. Results The prevalence of H.P. infection was 67.7%. Positive H.P. antibodies were found in 96.2% of p atients with mucosal lesions, confirmed by endoscopy. There was no sta tistically significant increase of mucosal lesions in patients with bo th H.P.-infection and NSAID therapy. Conclusions The main cause for ga strointestinal mucosal lesions is H.P. infection (>90%). A general muc oprotective therapy in patients with H.P. infection and NSAID therapy cannot be supported. It may be supposed that a part of mucosal lesions connected to NSAID-therapy in recent decades probably was the consequ ence of H.P. infections. Eradication of H.P. might be of higher import ance in the future.