[Campylobacter pyloridis and socioeconomic levels]

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was any relationship between the socio-economic level of patients and the colonization of the stomach by Campylobacter pyloridis. We have studied 256 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy because they had upper gastrointestinal symptoms of this group, 143 from Arzobispo Loayza Hospital (38 males and 105 females) and 122 from the private practice of three of the authors (77 males and 45 females). The ages ranged from 16 to 75 years (media 45.5 years). In each case biopsies of the antrum were taken and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Warthin-Starry Silver Stein. We classified patients into 3 different groups based on where they lived: nuclear districts, intermediate districts, and peripheral districts. In Lima, the type of district from the patient strongly correlates with their socio-economic status. The hospital and private patients differed significantly in the distribution of which type of district their patients came from. In contrast there was a no marked similarity between these two patient groups in their rate of colonization by Campylobacter pyloridis. It appears that the socio-economic level of peruvian patients, presenting to clinic with symptomatic gastro-intestinal disease is not an important factor with pyloric campylobacter infection.