[Helicobacter pylori and chronic gastritis in the gastric biopsy material in a group of randomly selected adult inhabitants of Estonia].

The occurrence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) was examined in 227 subjects randomly selected among the Estonian population of town Kuressaare. HP was present in 166 subjects (73%). In cases of normal mucosa both in antrum and body HP was lacking. If normal gastric body mucosa was associated with antral gastritis HP was found in both regions. More often the contamination of antral and body mucosa with HP occurred in case of superficial gastritis. In subjects with atrophic gastritis the occurrence of HP decreased. The frequency of HP was high (58%) already in the age group of 15-19 years and increased to 83% at the age of 20-29 years. In subjects over 60 years it decreased due to the development of atrophic gastritis.