Campylobacter pylori: prospective analysis of clinical and histological factors associated with colonization of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

The association of Campylobacter pylori (C.p.) colonization of the upper gastrointestinal tract with five predefined anamnestic variables, seven symptoms of dyspepsia, and various blindly evaluated histological criteria, was prospectively investigated in a consecutive series of 149 patients submitted to upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy. Colonization was determined by biopsy urease tests and histological searches. Significant differences (P less than 0.05) between C.p.-positive and C.p.-negative patients were found for smoker status and the frequency of therapy with ulcer-healing drugs (positive association with C.p.) and antibiotics (negative association), but not for any other of the anamnestic data or symptoms. These data were further submitted to stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses. Concerning histological findings, C.p. colonization was significantly associated with the degree of antrum and body gastritis (P less than 0.01), and also with lymphocellular infiltration in antrum and body biopsies and neutrophil cellular grading in gastric antra. We conclude that C.p. colonization of the upper gastrointestinal tract is associated with gastritic change of the antrum and, albeit to a lesser extent, of the body mucosa. However, a specific pattern of symptoms to predict C.p. colonization could not be established.