[Campylobacter pylori in endoscopic biopsies of the gastric antrum and its association with chronic gastritis].

A prospective study of 156 patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints submitted to endoscopy with biopsy of the gastric antral mucosa, was performed in order to evaluate by light microscopy the presence of chronic gastritis and Campylobacter pylori and its relationship to peptic ulcer. Thirty were histologically normal, and 126 showed evidence of gastritis. Ninety-four (74.6%) of the specimens with evidence of gastritis contained spiral bacteria whereas only three (10%) of the thirty gastritis-free stomachs contained these bacteria. 16 (84.2%) of 19 patients with duodenal ulcers and of 7 (63.6%) of 11 patients with gastric ulcers, also had Campylobacter pylori. There was no relationship between the presence of macroscopic findings at endoscopy and the presence of histologic gastritis. Our results confirm that gastritis and peptic ulcer are strongly associated with the presence of Campylobacter pylori.