Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia in gastric biopsy specimens: A retrospective evaluation of 1605 patients

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and related histopathological lesions in gastric mucosa samples in this single-center study. Methods: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and endoscopic biopsy reports of 1605 elective cases were retrospectively evaluated. Histopathological examination was evaluated according to the Sydney classification. The data were analyzed according to the prevalence of H. pylori, age, gender, gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia rates, and the distribution of the study group in the population below 40 years old and over 40 years old. Results: 584 males (Mean age 51.5 ± 16.5 years) and 1021 females (mean age 49.6 ± 16 years), (p = 0.03), a total of 1605 cases were included in the study. The rate of atrophy, metaplasia and H. pylori positivity in total study population were 0.2%, 16%, 71%, respectively. The rate of atrophy in men and women were 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively (p = 0.006). The rate of metaplasia in men and women were 20.9% and 13.7%, respectively (p <0.001). In the population under 40 years of age, the rates of gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were 0.7% and 2.5%, respectively (p = 0.02), above the age of 40, these rates were determined as 10.8% and 18.4%, respectively. (p <0.001). Conclusion: According to the data of our center, the prevalence of H. pylori is high. In addition, the rate of intestinal metaplasia is relatively high in the male population over the age of 40.