GOALS AND BACKGROUND: To assess whether prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori has adverse effects on gastritis. STUDY: We studied 34 H. pylori-positive individuals with reflux esophagitis, Barrett esophagus, or nonulcer dyspepsia. Half of them were on maintenance treatment with PPIs (mean, 8 years) and half were not.H. pylori and CagA status were tested serologically. Gastric biopsies were classified histopathologically by the updated Sydney classification. RESULTS: Proton pump inhibitors in H. pylori gastritis are associated with significantly less antral inflammation and lower H. pylori density, regardless of CagA status. There was a tendency toward more antral atrophy in patients with the CagA strain who were undergoing maintenance treatment with PPIs (p = 0.08), but there was an opposite tendency in CagA-negative individuals (p = 0.08). Intestinal metaplasia was seen more frequently in CagA-positive, treated individuals (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that CagA status is important in the progression to atrophy and that maintenance treatment with PPIs accelerate this progression, while reducing inflammatory infiltration.
GOALS AND BACKGROUND: To assess whether prolonged use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori has adverse effects on gastritis. STUDY: We studied 34 H. pylori-positive individuals with reflux esophagitis, Barrett esophagus, or nonulcer dyspepsia. Half of them were on maintenance treatment with PPIs (mean, 8 years) and half were not.H. pylori and CagA status were tested serologically. Gastric biopsies were classified histopathologically by the updated Sydney classification. RESULTS: Proton pump inhibitors in H. pylorigastritis are associated with significantly less antral inflammation and lower H. pylori density, regardless of CagA status. There was a tendency toward more antral atrophy in patients with the CagA strain who were undergoing maintenance treatment with PPIs (p = 0.08), but there was an opposite tendency in CagA-negative individuals (p = 0.08). Intestinal metaplasia was seen more frequently in CagA-positive, treated individuals (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that CagA status is important in the progression to atrophy and that maintenance treatment with PPIs accelerate this progression, while reducing inflammatory infiltration.