Relationship between pathological change of gastric mucosa in children with chronic gastritis and Helicobacter pylori infection.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the Helicobacter pylori ( HP ) infection in children with chronic gastritis of different age and the pathologic change of their gastric mucosa. Methods Electronic gastroscope ex aminations were performed in 1634 children who came to Ruijin Hospital , Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medi cine for repeated upper gastrointestinal symptoms from January 2007 to December 2010. Then the antral mucosal tissues were extracted for the HP detection and pathologic analysis. The histopathological findings were scored and classified ac cording to the Sydney System. Correlations between the inflammatory severity and HP infection were discussed. The de tection rate of HP infection , active inflammation and lymphoid follicle were compared among the four different groups di vided according to age. Results Totally 524 ( 32.1% ) patients showed HP positive , and the positive rate increased with age. The detection rates of active pathological change , severe inflammation , polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration , se vere lymphocyte infiltration and lymphoid follicle were all higher in HP-positive group than in the control. The propor tions of the midrange to severe chronic superficial gastritis and the midrange chronic atrophic gastritis were higher in HP-positive group than in the control. The detection rates of active inflammation and lymphoid follicles were significant ly higher in all age groups of children with HP infection than in HP negative patients. Conclusion The infection rate of HP in children increases with age. HP infection is positively correlated with the severity of the gastric mucosal inflamma tion , the incidence of the active pathological change and lymphoid follicle.