BARRETTS-ESOPHAGUS AND HELICOBACTER-PYLORI

In order to demonstrate the presence of Helicobacter pylori in the metaplastic epithelium of Barrett's oesophagus and to evaluate its possible association with this entity, we examined 29 cases of Barren's oesophagus where concomitant antral biopsies were also available. These cases were compared with an equal number of age and sex matched controls of uncomplicated reflux oesophagitis. H. pylori was present in 11 of 29 cases of Barren's oesophagus (38%). No increase in the frequency of H. pylori antral gastritis was found in patients of Barren's oesophagus compared to the control group of uncomplicated reflux oesophagitis. The positivity of Barren's oesophagus for H. pylori correlated with the presence of H. pylori antral gastritis (P < 0.05), although in two cases of H. pylori-positive Barren's oesophagus antral biopsies were negative for H. pylori. No difference was found in the severity of inflammatory and dysplastic changes of H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative Barren's oesophagus. Presence of H. pylori does not seem to alter the natural history of Barren's oesophagus.