Relationship Between Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Metaplasia: A Rural Hospital Experience

Abstract

Objective: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a risk factor for gastric cancer, and intestinal meta- plasia (IM) is one of the precursor lesions of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Hp and IM. Methods: A total of 550 patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy be- tween October 2018 and December 2019 were included in the study. The patient data of age, sex, endoscopic diagnosis, Hp positivity, IM, atrophic gastritis, and neoplasia were evaluated retrospectively. Results: There were 550 patients enrolled in the study: 228 males (41.5%) and 322 females (59.5%), with a median age of 37.0 years (interquartile range: 18.0–79.0 years). Hp was de- tected in 62.7% of the patients, IM in 17.1%, gastric atrophy in 9.1%, and gastric cancer in 2.9%. Among the patients with positive IM, 80 were Hp-positive and 14 were Hp-negative. The rate of IM was significantly higher in Hp-positive patients than in Hp-negative patients (p<0.001). In addition, the incidence of Hp-IM coexistence was significantly higher in patients over 50 years of age (p=0.002). Conclusion: There was a strong relationship between Hp and IM, and the relationship was correlated with age. Hp eradication is critical to prevent the development of IM, a precursor lesion of intestinal-type gastric cance