Related Experiment Videos
Helicobacter pylori, smoking and gastroduodenitis
G Lindell1, M Hesselvik, C Schalén
1Department of Surgery, Helsingborg Hospital, Sweden.
Digestion
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Cigarette smoking is linked to gastritis, but not due to Helicobacter pylori infection. Smokers had lower H. pylori rates, yet gastritis prevalence was similar between smokers and non-smokers.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Epidemiological studies suggest a link between cigarette smoking and gastritis.
- The role of Helicobacter pylori infection in this association requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cigarette smoking, Helicobacter pylori infection, and gastritis.
- To determine if H. pylori prevalence differs in smokers versus non-smokers among patients with epigastric pain.
Main Methods:
- 106 patients undergoing upper endoscopy for epigastric pain were included.
- Biopsies from the stomach and duodenum were cultured for H. pylori and examined histologically for gastritis and duodenitis.
- Patients with ulcer disease or cancer were excluded from the study.
Main Results:
- H. pylori was found in 35% of patients; gastritis was present in 57%.
- Smokers (37% of patients) had significantly lower H. pylori rates (18%) compared to non-smokers (45%).
- H. pylori-positive patients showed higher rates of gastritis (89%) than H. pylori-negative patients (39%). Gastritis severity was similar across groups.
Conclusions:
- Cigarette smoking is associated with gastritis, but this link is not mediated by a lower prevalence of H. pylori infection.
- H. pylori is a significant factor in gastritis development, independent of smoking status.
- Smoking does not appear to influence the severity of gastritis or duodenitis in this patient cohort.