Carditis is related to Helicobacter pylori infection in dyspeptic children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Etiology of gastric cardia inflammation is still controversial.

AIMS: To evaluate the association between carditis and Helicobacter pylori infection and the correlation among inflammatory changes observed in biopsies taken from cardia, corpus, and antrum in a well-defined group of patients.

PATIENTS: The mean age of 45 dyspeptic patients was 10.4 years (range 5.1-17.0 years); gender F/M rate: 1.6/1.

METHODS: A total of 450 specimens from esophagus (2), cardia (2), corpus (3), and antrum (4) were collected for biopsy. The presence of H. pylori was assessed by histology and a rapid urease test. The types of glandular epithelium of cardia found in specimens were identified and both inflammatory changes and H. pylori density were graded.

RESULTS: Carditis was present in specimens of 30/45 (66.7%) of the patients. Presence of H. pylori in specimens was detected in the antrum (26/45; 57.8%), in the corpus (19/45; 42.2%), and in the cardia (14/45; 31.1%). There was a strong association between carditis and presence of H. pylori infection (OR=27.08) by multivariate analysis. The scores for inflammation and activity in the cardia, corpus and antrum have shown a relationship except for both cardia and antrum H. pylori density and corpus and cardia activity. The intensity of gastritis and degree of colonization with H. pylori were significantly higher in the antrum than in both the corpus and the cardia. Pangastritis was highly associated to H. pylori infection in 22/25 (88%) of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS: 1. Carditis is associated to H. pylori infection in children with symptoms of dyspepsia; 2. The degrees of gastritis found at the cardia were correlated to those at the antrum and body except for both cardia and antrum H. pylori density and corpus and cardia activity.