Gastric metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori infection in intestinal tuberculosis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Gastric metaplasia occurs in intestinal epithelium of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection as well as intestinal tuberculosis, but the relationship between the three is not clear. SETTING: Teaching hospital. METHODS: Staining of intestinal sections from patients with ileocecal tuberculosis for H pylori and for metaplasia. RESULTS: Twenty seven of 92 (29.3%) patients demonstrated gastric metaplasia (superficial epithelial and pyloric gland metaplasia) in resected specimens of ileum. Gastric metaplasia was of antral type in all 27 patients. Helicobacter pylori was present in 3 of 27 (11%) patients with gastric metaplasia and was absent in all 65 patients without metaplasia. CONCLUSION: Gastric metaplasia (both superficial epithelial and pyloric gland) occurs in one-third of patients with ileocecal tuberculosis and such mucosa is poorly colonized by H pylori.