Chemical gastritis induced by naproxen in the absence of Helicobacter pylori infection

Gastritis and carditis

Dyspepsia is a common clinical problem. Its causes include peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux, and functional (nonulcer) dyspepsia. A detailed clinical description of pain does not reliably differentiate the cause. Approximately 80% of gastroscopies are performed for the investigation of dyspepsia. "Gastritis" is diagnosed endoscopically in 59% of all stomachs, although in only 3% are the changes severe. Pathologic examination of unselected gastric biopsy specimens reveals that abnormalities are present in 62-73%, but there is only a weak correlation between endoscopic and histologic findings. For these reasons, it is recommended that endoscopic examination should always be accompanied by biopsy. Ideally, biopsies should be taken in a systematic fashion to include sampling of antrum and corpus. Recent evidence suggests that gastric infection by Helicobacter pylori initially presents as a superficial gastritis. Later it may become atrophic with development of intestinal metaplasia. The onset of atrophic changes may be related to the duration of infection, the strain of the infecting organism, associated dietary factors, or as-yet undefined host factors related to immunity. Persistent superficial gastritis predisposes to duodenal ulcer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Atrophic gastritis predisposes to gastric ulcer and adenocarcinoma. Evidence is accumulating that in some patients, pernicious anemia may be an end result of H. pylori-induced atrophic gastritis. Reactive gastropathy is a relatively common finding in gastric biopsies; in most instances it is associated with either reflux of duodenal contents or therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Lymphocytic gastritis, eosinophilic gastritis, and the gastritis associated with Crohn's disease are distinct morphologic entities. Lymphocytic gastritis and eosinophilic gastritis have a variety of clinical associations. Carditis is a controversial topic: currently opinions are divided as to whether it is the result of gastroesophageal reflux or a proximal extension of H. pylori infection from the remainder of the stomach.

Foveolar hyperplasia at the gastric cardia: prevalence and associations

AIMS

In the gastric antrum and body, foveolar hyperplasia is a feature of reactive gastritis resulting from--for example, duodenogastric bile reflux and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence and clinical relevance of gastric cardiac foveolar hyperplasia.

METHODS

The study population was drawn from a consecutive series of 1698 patients sent for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Only cases without chronic gastritis or Barrett's oesophagus were included. The final study population consisted of 307 patients.

RESULTS

Foveolar hyperplasia was seen in the gastric cardiac mucosa in 31 (10%) patients with histologically normal stomach mucosa, but none had endoscopically noticeable hyperplastic polyps. Compared with patients without gastric cardiac hyperplasia, those with hyperplasia more often had chronic inflammation and complete intestinal metaplasia in the junctional biopsies (48% v 77% and 9% v 26%, respectively). Logistic regression analysis revealed that chronic cardiac inflammation (odds ratio (OR), 3.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3 to 7.8) and intestinal metaplasia of the complete type (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.1 to 7.1) were independent risk factors for cardiac foveolar hyperplasia. In univariate analysis, endoscopic erosive oesophagitis (endoscopy positive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease) and the use of NSAIDs were not related to the presence of foveolar hyperplasia.

CONCLUSIONS

Foveolar hyperplasia in the gastric cardiac mucosa occurs in patients with histologically normal non-gastritic stomachs and may develop as a consequence of chronic inflammation limited to the gastro-oesophageal junction ("junctitis"). It is not associated directly with endoscopy positive gastro-oesophageal reflux disease or the use of NSAIDs.

The histopathology of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug induced gastroduodenal damage: correlation with Helicobacter pylori, ulcers, and haemorrhagic events

AIMS

The spectrum of microscopic lesions resulting from the chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), known as chemical gastritis, remains unclear, and the variable prevalence reported in different studies makes this issue a matter of lively debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and importance of chemical gastritis in patients regularly taking NSAIDs. Owing to the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection, particularly in subjects over 60 years of age, and in view of a possible association with damage, the presence of H pylori infection in the same tissue sample was also determined in all patients.

METHODS

One hundred and ninety seven subjects were enrolled, 118 of whom were receiving chronic treatment with NSAIDs and 79 of whom were controls, pair matched for age, sex, and clinical symptoms (ulcer-like dyspepsia or upper digestive tract haemorrhage). Antral biopsies taken during upper gastroduodenal endoscopy were assessed for chemical gastritis according to a modified version of Dixon's score, and for Helicobacter correlated chronic active gastritis, according to the updated Sydney system.

RESULTS

Chemical gastritis was identified in 11 patients taking NSAIDs (9%) and in four controls (5%) (p < 0.05). Helicobacter pylori was detected in 53 patients taking NSAIDs (45%) and in 34 controls (43%). Patients taking NSAIDs had a significantly higher number of erosions and ulcers and worse endoscores than controls. The presence of H pylori did not appear to increase histological damage, ulcer prevalence, or haemorrhagic events.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemical gastritis is present in a limited number of patients regularly taking NSAIDs, and is not strongly correlated with NSAID induced damage. In many cases of peptic ulcer or upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients taking NSAIDs, the presence of chemical gastritis or H pylori infection cannot solely account for the development of mucosal damage.

The relation between Helicobacter pylori and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Both infection with Helicobacter pylori and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can result in gastritis and ulcers. H. pylori has been identified as a major etiologic factor in the development of peptic ulcer disease; however, its relationship to NSAID-associated toxicity is less well characterized. Several studies have suggested that NSAID use does not increase susceptibility to H. pylori, and the converse has also been suggested, namely, that H. pylori does not exacerbate NSAID-associated injury. H. pylori itself may stimulate production of gastric prostaglandins, which may have a role in ulcer healing. More carefully controlled studies may be better able to elucidate the individual and synergistic mechanisms involved in ulceration induced by H. pylori and NSAIDs. Recent studies have suggested that elimination of H. pylori before NSAID treatment decreases ulcer occurrence. Therefore, at this time, eradication of H. pylori should be considered only in certain high-risk patients, i.e., those with a history of gastroduodenal ulcers.

Helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: does infection affect the outcome of NSAID therapy?

1. H. pylori gastritis appears to increase the likelihood of developing dyspeptic symptoms on NSAID therapy. 2. There is preliminary evidence that the histologic severity of H. pylori gastritis may be adversely affected by NSAID therapy, with a consequent increase in the risk of developing a peptic ulcer, possibly with complications. Whether this results from an effect on the inflammatory process or results from a quantitative increase in H. pylori colonization is unknown. In these respects, ASA may differ from other NSAIDs. 3. Ulcers are more likely to develop during the course of NSAID therapy in those infected with H. pylori; eradication of the infection reduces ulcer recurrence in the face of continued NSAID therapy, and it seems likely that this must reduce but not abolish the risk of GI bleeding in those using NSAIDs. Eradication also reduces the damage (and possibly risks) of low-dose aspirin therapy. 4. While H. pylori and NSAID use are independent risk factors for GI bleeding, whether or not they are interactive remains unresolved. 5. The effect of H. pylori infection on the risk of perforation during NSAID therapy, or conversely, the contribution of NSAID therapy to the risk of perforation in H. pylori-infected subjects, is also unclear at the present time. 6. Only large outcome studies of accurately diagnosed patients (with regard to H. pylori gastritis), and with much more specific detail as to the type of NSAID, dose and duration of therapy, employing only well-defined end-points, such as significant hemorrhage, perforation or death, and avoiding all surrogate markers short of these end points can hope to unravel this tangled web.

Helicobacter pylori and complicated ulcer disease

Approximately 20-25% of patients with peptic ulcer disease develop complications--bleeding, perforation, or obstruction. Although the majority of patients with complicated ulcers are infected with Helicobacter pylori, the prevalence of infection appears to be lower in these patients compared with patients with uncomplicated ulcers. Among patients who present with a bleeding ulcer, approximately one-third will develop recurrent bleeding in the following 1-2 years if left untreated after ulcer healing. A number of studies have shown that the recurrence of rebleeding is virtually abolished if patients receive H. pylori eradication therapy. In contrast, the rate of rebleeding in patients receiving maintenance antisecretory therapy is around 10%. Thus, H. pylori infection status must be determined in patients presenting with complicated ulcer disease and, if positive, eradication therapy initiated. Eradication should be documented at least 4 weeks after the end of therapy (by endoscopic biopsy or urea breath test) and maintenance antisecretory therapy discontinued if the infection is cured.