Clinical value of Helicobacter pylori identification by histochemical methods in patients with chronic gastritis

There were studied 68 patients admitted with clinical signs of chronic gastritis. Biopsies were taken by endoscopical route from the antral and fundic levels in all cases, and paraffin slides were stained with haematoxylin-eosine, modified Giemsa, Warthin-Starry and blue cresyl methods. Microscopical results were compared with those obtained with the urease test performed from the gastric mucus. Results noted the presence of Helicobacter pylori in 41 from 68 cases in the antral mucosa, like curved bacteria located in the mucus on the excretory segment and often on the surface, covering the epithelium. Intracellular Helicobacter pylori was not noted. Its presence is related especially with the active chronic gastritis and rarely with inactive forms; it was not possible to establish a relationship between the morphology, incidence and features of their infiltrate, and the presence of Helicobacter pylori. The modified Giemsa method is easier to perform, faster and cheaper, and it may be currently applied in practice, but from the sensitivity viewpoint, best results have been achieved with Warthin-Starry silver impregnation.