<i>Helicobacter pylori</i> Infection and Intestinal Metaplasia among Healthy Adolescents

Park, Ji Sook; Rhie, Kyuyol; Seo, Ji Hyun; Ryu, Eo Young; Kim, Hyun Jin; Kim, Hong Jun; Lim, Jae Young; Woo, Hyang Ok; Baik, Seung Chul; Lee, Woo Kon; Cho, Myung Je; Rhee, Kwang Ho; Ko, Gyung Hyuck; Youn, Hee Shang

doi:2015.15.4.243

Korean J Helicobacter Up Gastrointest Res > Volume 15(4); 2015 > Article

Original Article

The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research 2015;15(4):243-248.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7704/kjhugr.2015.15.4.243 Published online December 10, 2015.

Helicobacter pylori Infection and Intestinal Metaplasia among Healthy Adolescents

Ji Sook Park, Kyuyol Rhie, Ji Hyun Seo, Eo Young Ryu, Hyun Jin Kim, Hong Jun Kim, Jae Young Lim, Hyang Ok Woo, Seung Chul Baik, Woo Kon Lee, Myung Je Cho, Kwang Ho Rhee, Gyung Hyuck Ko, Hee Shang Youn

¹Department of Pediatrics, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea. hsyoun@gnu.ac.kr
²Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
³Department of Microbiology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
⁴Department of Pathology, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
⁵Gyeongsang Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The purpose of our study was to investigate the change in incidence of intestinal metaplasia (IM) in healthy, young adults over 10 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urease test and histopathology by endoscopic biopsies were performed from volunteers between 1995 and 2005. Histopathological grade was assessed using the updated Sydney System. RESULTS: In total, 714 subjects with a median age of 22.4 years were enrolled. Helicobacter pylori was observed at the antrum and body in 44.5% and 35.1%, respectively. IM limited to the antrum was present in 1.1% of the subjects. The degree of IM correlated negatively with age (P=0.04) but there was no correlation with H. pylori levels or the degree of chronic or active gastritis. Compared to the beginning of the study period, the positivity rate at the end of the study period droped to 45%. IM incidence did not change over the 11-year study period, whereas H. pylori-positivity and the frequency of chronic and active gastritis in the antrum and body dropped significantly over this period (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This result suggests that other factors, besides chronic H. pylori infection or degree of gastritis, may contribute to the progression of atrophy to IM in healthy, young adults.

Key Words: Helicobacter pylori; Intestinal metaplasia