Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric follicular hyperplasia. A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of lymphoid follicles in the gastric mucosa was recently considered to be acquired in respose to infection by Helicobacter pylori.

METHODS

In order to investigate whether there is any correlation between follicular hyperplasia and Helicobacter pylori colonization, a morphological study was performed in antral biopsy specimens from 267 patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis, and from 312 subjects with histological evidence of chronic gastritis, but without H. pylori colonization.

RESULTS

Follicular hyperplasia was observed in 33 (12.3%) specimens with H. pylori-associated gastritis, and in 56 (9%) samples from non-infected group (p=ns). In both H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative specimens lymphoid follicular hyperplasia showed a significant correlation with the degree of the gastritis. In these two groups the prevalence of follicular hyperplasia was also significantly higher in the elderly.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of these results, we were unable to find any significant correlation between H. pylori infection and occurrence of lymphoid follicular hyperplasia. The appearance of organized follicular structures in the gastric mucosa seems to be acquired in response to multiple events, and not exclusively in consequence of the colonization by Helicobacter pylori.