BACKGROUND/AIMS: To date, few studies have focused on the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in cirrhotic patients with gastroduodenal disease and reported results are conflicting. The aim of this study was to assess the H. pylori infection rate in dyspeptic cirrhotic patients with or without gastroduodenal lesions at endoscopy.

METHODOLOGY

In a prospective study, 226 consecutive dyspeptic cirrhotic patients were enrolled in the study upon assessment of H. pylori infection. Two-hundred dyspeptic non-cirrhotic patients were also included as controls. The presence of H. pylori was detected by rapid urease test and histology (Giemsa staining) in 3 biopsy specimens from the antrum and 3 from the gastric body.

RESULTS

H. pylori infection was found in 135 (59.7%) cirrhotics and in 121 (60.5%) controls (p = NS). The prevalence of gastric ulcer was higher in cirrhotics than in controls (16% vs. 2.5%, p = 0.0001), while the prevalence of duodenal ulcer was similar (11% vs. 12%, respectively). The H. pylori infection rate was similar between cirrhotics and controls, both with gastric (83% vs. 80%) and with duodenal (88% vs. 96%) ulcers. Moreover, in our study, a H. pylori-related peptic lesion was the cause of previous gastroduodenal bleeding in 6 of 50 (12%) cirrhotic patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that H. pylori infection is implicated in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer in cirrhotic patients, similar to findings in non-cirrhotic patients.