Evolution of gastritis in patients with gastric erosions

Objective. Gastric erosions are mainly associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but there has been no information available on the long-term evolution of gastritis in subjects with erosions. Material and methods. A series of 117 patients with gastric erosions without peptic ulcer disease and matched controls without erosions or ulcers were studied. Available subjects underwent endoscopy and biopsy 17 years later. Parietal cell antibodies were analysed at the first visit. Results. Fifty-two patients and 67 controls were available for follow-up. Since H. pylori was a major determinant of gastritis, only subjects with unchanged H. pylori status were included in the evaluation of gastritis progression. At the follow-up visit, gastric erosions were present in 38% (16/42) of the patients and 11% (5/46) of the controls (p=0.005). In H. pylori-negative subjects, no evolution of histological changes was seen. In H. pylori-positive subjects, body gastritis wa...