OBJECTIVE: To investigate correlation of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection with symptoms and gastric electrical activity in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). METHODS: Sixty patients with FD confirmed by gastroscopy and pathology were enrolled in this study. Of them, 30 Hp positive (Hp+) and 30 Hp negative (Hp-). Ten dyspeptic symptoms were scored according to severity (0-3) and frequency (0-3), including abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, early satiety, heartburn, and so on. Digitrapper EGG was used for recording 30 min during fasting and 60 min after a test meal (1890 kJ, C:F:P = 3.9:3.4:1). RESULTS: (1) The total symptom score (TSS) was 26.57 +/- 9.16 and 24.37 +/- 6.86 in Hp+ and Hp- groups respectively (NS). There was no significance of each symptom score between both groups, except the score of heartburn in Hp+ were higher than in Hp- group (2.30 +/- 2.04 vs 1.13 +/- 1.78, P < 0.05). (2) The percentage of normal EGG rhythm (2.4-3.7 cpm) was (64.80 +/- 4.74)% in fasting and (55.84 +/- 4.71)% in postprandial stage in Hp+ group and (64.89 +/- 5.04)%, (62.72 +/- 4.57)% in Hp- group. There was no significance of the percentage of normal EGG rhythm, power ratio(PR), and dominant frequency(DF) between HP+ and HP- groups. (3) However, there was close negative correlation of TSS with normal rhythm in postprandial stage in Hp+ group (r = 0.41, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There may be different pathophysiologic basis in FD with or without Hp infection. Hp infection may influence postprandial gastric electrical activity. Further study needs to be investigated.