Relationship between gastric inflammatory response and symptoms in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori

The relationship between the histologic severity of gastritis and associated symptoms was examined in 19 adult patients infected with Helicobacter pylori. At the time of gastrointestinal endoscopy, symptoms of dyspepsia were assessed by means of a linear analog scale. Gastric inflammation was quantitated with histomorphometric techniques. Symptoms such as epigastric pain, burping/belching, and nausea correlated with the degree of inflammation. These positive correlations suggest that the severity of the histologic gastritis contributes to the severity of symptoms. Therefore, utilization of a linear analog scale to assess symptoms may be a useful technique in evaluating the outcome of therapeutic trials of patients with symptomatic H. pylori infection.