Endocrine Abstracts

Different studies indicated the possible association between lymphocytic gastritis and both celiac disease and Helicobacter pylori infection, although this evidence is not consistently accepted.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether Helicobacter pylori infection and celiac disease were associated among patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Methods: Between January 2016 and June 2017, patients over 18 years old undergoing upper endoscopy who required both gastric and duodenal biopsies were included for analysis. Enrolled subjects were divided in two groups: those with a diagnosis of celiac disease and those without a celiac disease diagnosis. Helicobacter pylori infection prevalence was compared between groups. Among celiac patients, endoscopic markers of villous atrophy as well as histological damage severity were compared between those with and without Helicobacter pylori infection.

Results: Overall, 140 patients were enrolled. Seventy of them had a diagnosis of celiac disease. Helicobacter pylori infection prevalence among celiac disease patients was 14.5%, compared to 50% in non-celiac patients [OR=0.33 (0.15–0.71)]. There was not a significant difference in terms of the severity of villous atrophy in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection compared to those without it. There was a slight increase in the prevalence of endoscopic markers in those Helicobacter pylori-negative celiac subjects.

Conclusion: Helicobacter pylori infection seems to be less frequent in celiac patients; among those celiac subjects with concomitant Helicobacter pylori infection, histological damage degree and presence of endoscopic markers suggesting villous atrophy seem to be similar to those without Helicobacter pylori infection.