Aim: To assess the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) development and to assess the rate of dysplasia or gastric cancer development in patients with AG and/or IM.
Methods: This retrospective endoscopic follow-up study enrolled 2214 patients. The patients were followed for at least five years between 2007 and 2017 at the Department of Endoscopy at Antalya Ataturk Government Hospital. The results of third-year and five-year surveillance biopsy were assessed.
Results: The mean follow-up time was 7.77 ± 2.78 years. H. pylori was histologically assessed in 1417 (64.6%) patients. Of 198 patients with severe H. pylori infection, 32 (16%) and 139 (70.3%) developed extensive AG and extensive IM, respectively. There was a significant relationship between H. pylori density and AG and IM degrees. High grade dysplasia, early gastric cancer, and advanced gastric cancer were diagnosed in 73 patients with median age 58.2 (28-80) years, and the incidence rate was 3.29% (73/2214). The annual incidence of gastric neoplastic lesions was 0.46% in total, 0.08% for early GC, and 0.02% for advanced gastric cancer.
Conclusions: H. pylori infection has an important role in the development of AG and IM. H. pylori density is directly related to atrophy and metaplasia degree.