ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It was reported that Helicobacter pylori causes duodenal ulcer and chronic active gastritis, but is still controversial on the relationship with gastric cancer. H. pylori is still clinically significant despite improvements in microbiologic, pathologic and therapeutic aspects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalance of H. pylori infection according to age and sex, the risk factors of H. pylori infection and the relationship with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. METHODS: The subjects were 409 people who underwent esophagogastroscopy and CLO test from Feb. to Jun. in 1997 at Health Promotion Center, Pundang CHA General Hospital. Six types of upper gastrointestinal symptoms and demographic characterastics were surveged by questionnaire. The relationship with H. pylori infection according to age, sex, education, smoking,alcohol, coffee, stress and exercise was evaluated. And, the frequencies of H. pylori according to the presence of symptoms and the six different symptoms(indigestion, frequent belching, dyspepsia, nausea/vomiting, distension, anorexia) were anallyzed by Chi-square test. RESULTS: CLO test was positive for 264(64.5%) in total, 156(65.3%) in females. not different significantly in each group. The frequency of CLO test positive was 53.5%(under 30 years old), 64%(thirties), 67.9%(fifties), 48%(over 60years old). H. pylori infection increased slightly as age increased, but deacreased in over sixties. The frequency of H. pylori infection according to sex, education, smoking, alchol, coffee, stress, and exercise was not different significantly. 174(60.2%) of 284 symptomatic subjects(who had more than one symptom) was positive by CLO test and 93(74.4%) of 125 asymptomatic subjects was positive. The frequency of H. pylori infection according to six symptoms was not different significantly. The sensitivity, specificity, false negative rate, false positive rate, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CLO test to pathologic report were 77.4%, 81.3%, 22.6%, 18.7%, 93.2%, 52% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 64.5% and showed no difference by sex. H. pylori infection infection increased slightly as age increased. Education, smoking, alcohol, coffee, stress, exercise were not considered as risk factors. The relationship of upper gastrointestinal symptoms and H. pylori infection infection was not significant biostatiscally.