Prevalence of Campylobacter pylori and association with antral mucosal histology in subjects with and without upper gastrointestinal symptoms.

To determine the incidence and significance of Campylobacter pylori in patients undergoing routine endoscopic evaluation at this hospital, biopsies of the antrum were obtained from 132 patients and from 15 asymptomatic volunteers. Specimens were cultured and silver stained for the presence of C. pylori and were examined histologically. C. pylori was detected in 67 (51%) patients and two (13%) volunteers (P = 0.006). In patients, C. pylori was found significantly more often when the mucosa was inflamed (67%) than when the mucosa was normal (13%), and both volunteers with C. pylori had chronic gastritis on histological examination. When compared to the volunteers, patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms had a significantly increased prevalence of antral inflammation, even if the endoscopic examination was normal. C. pylori is infrequently found in young asymptomatic adults but is found in both asymptomatic volunteers and patients in association with all forms of histological antral gastritis which is prevalent in patients with both normal endoscopic findings and peptic ulcer disease.