[Intestinal metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori infection, their relationship and effects of eradication therapy].

Intestinal metaplasia is characterized by Goblet cells and Peneth cells in histological examination. It is frequently observed in gastric mucosa with atrophic gastritis and easily diagnosed using Methylene blue stain in endoscopy. Intestinal metaplasia is seemed to occur during the progression of atrophic gastritis. From our prospective endoscopic follow-up study over 8 years, progression of intestinal metaplasia in gastric body is observed in 44.4% out of 27 H. pylori positive patients. Progression of atrophy is also observed in 37.0% of cases. Development of intestinal metaplasia is also assured in other clinical investigations and experimental studies using Mongolian Gerbils. However, reversibility of intestinal metaplasia after H. pylori eradication is under discussion still now. In our study, we can not observe the regression of intestinal metaplasia even 2 years after successful H. pylori eradication.