Gastric Lymphoid Follicles in Helicobacter Pylori Infection: Frequency, Distribution and Relationship to Inflammation in 331 Gastric Biopsy Material

Kim, Kyoung Mee; Lee, Anhi; Shim, Sang In; Chae, Hyun Suk

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection is considered the most important cause of chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer. To determine the prevalence, distribution and it's relationship to degree of inflammation, gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from 331 nonulcer dyspepsia(NUD) patients consisting of 52 H. pylori negative normal volunteers and 279 H. pylori infected patients. Lymphoid follicles, degree of acute and chronic inflammation(Grade 0 to 3), and degree of H. pylori(Grade 0 to 4) were observed. The prevalence of H. pylori in NUD was 84.29%. The lymphoid follicles were found in 138 patients(41.7%) and only 5 patients(l.5%) without H. pylori showed lymphoid follicles. There was strong a relationship between lymphoid follicles and degree of acute and chronic inflammation and intensity of H. pylori infection(P<0.001). Acute and chronic inflammation were more serious in the antrum than body in H. pylori infected patients. There was no relationship between lymphoid follicles and the site in the stomach of H. pylori infection(P<0.078), but the body portion had an increased frequency of lymphoid follicles compared to the in antrum. Our results indicate that the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Korea is higher than in Western people and the degree of acute and chronic inflammation are strongly correlated with the presence of lymphoid follicles. The lymphoid follicles are believed to be absent from the normal stomach and their presence is strongly associated with H. pylori infection. The fact there is an that increased frequency of lymphoid follicles in H. pylori infected patients, and that they are more prevalent in the body of the antrum, support the concept that H. pylori may be a precursor in the development of primary gastric lymphoma.