[Helicobacter pylori in patients with gastritis and gastric ulcer]

Seventy patients symptoms and signs compatible with gastritis and/or peptic ulcer were included in the study; they were 41 women and 29 men, with an age range of 9-84 years, and they underwent upper endoscopy. Brushing of the antrum was performed and 4 biopsies were taken from it. With the gastric mucus, a smear was prepared for Gram staining; one sample of tissue was placed directly in urea medium and another tissue sample in Skirrow medium; and two samples of tissue were stained with Hematoxylin-eosin and examined under the light microscope. Those patients who were taking antibiotics capable of inhibiting growth of Helicobacter pylori (Hp), the last four weeks prior endoscopy, were excluded from the study. Twenty-six patients (37.1%) were positive (+) for Hp the culture in urea medium. Of these 26 patients, 15 (21.4%) were also positive by the Skirrow method, and 11 (15.7%) by Gram stain. Epigastric pain was the most predominant symptom in (+) patients (80.7%) and (-) patients (68.1%) for Hp. Superficial acute gastritis within the antrum was the most frequent endoscopic finding in (+) (84.6%) and (-) (68.1%) patients. Chronic superficial gastritis was the predominant microscopic finding in (+) (42.3%) and (-) (38.6%) patients as well. Microscopic examination was positive for Hp in 6 (23%) patients by H-E stain. According to these results, there was no statistically significant difference in symptoms, endoscopic and microscopic findings between positive and negative patients for Hp.