The role of certain habits and various diseases in the occurrence of gastritis.

Four biopsy specimens of antral and body mucosa were taken from the greater and lesser curvature of the stomach in 557 Germans and 46 Turks with no gastric or duodenal lesions. The age-adjusted gastritis score in each area was related to various habits and clinical diagnoses. In contrast to the Germans the Turks had advanced antral gastritis at an early age which did not progress with age. Patients of low social class were more prone to antral gastritis than academics and civil servants. Hypertension was associated with a lower incidence of antral gastritis. Patients who had had a cholecystectomy had advanced gastritis in antral and body mucosa as compared with those with gallstones but intact gallbladders. The incidence of fundic gastritis was higher in patients with degenerative joint disease than in the controls. It is concluded that alcohol, nicotine, drug abuse and various diseases do not play an important role in the frequency of occurrence of gastritis.