Atrophic Gastritis and Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients with Reflux Esophagitis Treated with Omeprazole or Fundoplication

Background Helicobacter pylori infection plays an important part in the development of atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, conditions that predispose patients to gastric cancer. Profound suppression of gastric acid is associated with increased severity of gastritis caused by H. pylori, but it is not known whether acid suppression increases the risk of atrophic gastritis. Methods We studied patients from two separate cohorts who were being treated for reflux esophagitis: 72 patients treated with fundoplication in Sweden and 105 treated with omeprazole (20 to 40 mg once daily) in the Netherlands. In both cohorts, the patients were followed for an average of five years (range, three to eight). After fundoplication, the patients did not receive acid-suppressive therapy. The presence of H. pylori was assessed at the first visit by histologic evaluation in the fundoplication group and by histologic and serologic evaluation in the omeprazole group. The patients were not treated for H. pylori infection....