Campylobacter pylori in Japan: bacteriological feature and prevalence in healthy subjects and patients with gastroduodenal disorders.

The presence of Campylobacter pylori was investigated in biopsy specimens obtained during gastrofiberscopy from 103 consecutive patients prospectively. Patients included 25 with gastric ulcer, 4 with duodenal ulcer, 5 with coexisting gastroduodenal ulcer, 31 with gastroduodenal ulcer with gastritis, 27 with gastritis, 3 with gastric polyps and 8 with gastric cancer. Results were compared with 20 healthy control subjects who were endoscopically normal. Two specimens each were taken from 3 sites in the stomach. One part was used for a histological study to examine the presence of the organisms. The other part was cultured using Skirrow's agar microaerophilically. Conventional microflora and C. pylori were examined in gastric contents of some cases. Bacteriological features of isolated strains of C. pylori were identical to the NCTC strain. C. pylori was the most dominant organism in gastric contents at any pH level. Detection rates of C. pylori by bacteriological culture were 96% in gastric ulcer, 100% in duodenal ulcer, 80% in coexisting gastroduodenal ulcer, 84% in gastroduodenal ulcer with gastritis, 70% in gastritis, 100% in gastric polyps and 100% in gastric cancer, and the percentages recognized by histological studies were 81, 100, 100, 84, 71, 67, and 57%, respectively. The values in healthy controls were 55% by histological and bacteriological methods (P less than 0.001 compared with overall ulcer patients). These results supported the close association between C. pylori and gastroduodenal diseases.