The Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication in Patients with Reflux Esophagitis by Symptom Analysis and Endoscopic Assessment / 대한소화기내시경학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is controversial. A high incidence of reflux esophagitis after H. pylori eradication has been reported in patients with peptic ulcer. However, few study has been reported on the effects of H. pylori eradication in patients with GERD without peptic ulcer. We assessed the reflux symptoms and endoscopic findings among comparable patients having undergone successful versus failed H. pylori eradication. METHODS: Patients with H. pylori-positive endoscopic esophagitis were treated with omeprazole, amoxicillin and metronidazole for 2 weeks and subsequently underwent 8-weeks of omeprazole treatment. All patients underwent a urea breath test 2~4 weeks later. Patients underwent symptom assessment and endoscopy before the therapy and 1 year thereafter. RESULTS: Out of 48 patients randomized, 10 dropped out during the follow-up period, leaving 38 patients with analyzable results. H. pylori eradication was successful in 32 patients (84.2%). By the end of the follow-up period, patients with symptoms (p=0.107) or endoscopic esophagitis (p=0.366) seemed not to be more aggravated in the successful than in the failed eradication group. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication doesn't aggravate the symptoms or endoscopic esophagitis in patients with H. pylori-positive reflux esophagitis.