Cure of Helicobacter pylori infection improves gastric acid secretion in patients with corpus gastritis

Background: For more than 30 years it has been known that gastric acid secretion is inversely related to the extent and severity of corpal gastritis. We therefore evaluated the effect of cure of Helicobacter pylori infection on basal and pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion. Methods: Basal acid output (BAG) and maximal acid output (MAO) were assessed in 11 H. pylori-infected dyspeptic patients (8 women and 3 men; mean age, 28 years) before and after successful anti-H. pylori therapy. Results: The gastritis index was significantly lower after therapy and was associated with an increase in both BAO and MAO after cure of the H. pylori infection (BAG from 0.3 mmol/h to 3.1 mmol/h and MAO from 4.8 mmol/h to 19 mmol/h). Basal and stimulated acid concentrations also increased (29.1 +/- 36.6 to 54 +/- 31 mmol/l and 72.5 +/- 46 to 120.1 +/- 30 mmol/l, respectively, for basal and stimulated acid concentrations; P < 0.05 for peak and MAO, P = 0.07 for BAG). Conclusion: Gastric acid secretion increased into the normal range after successful treatment of H. pylori infection, suggesting that gastric function can recover to normal or almost normal after cure of H. pylori infection.