İnvestigation of reflux esophagitis frequency and relationship with helicobacter pylori in patients with gastrointestinal system complaints

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a disease that develops with symptoms such as heartburn and acid regurgitation, accompanied by mucosal damage (erosive) in the esophagus or without endoscopic damage (non-erosive). There are many studies on the role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis and the relationship between the two is unclear. It has been determined that H.pylori has a protective role in the development of reflux esophagitis in some studies, but not in some studies. The aim of our study is to determine the frequency of reflux esophagitis in patients undergoing endoscopy and to evaluate its relationship with H.pylori infection. This retrospective, single-center study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. Our study; esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy was performed in the Adiyaman University Training and Research Hospital Endoscopy unit between January 1 2020 and August 31 2020 and it was performed on all adult patients older than 18 years of age who had an antrum-corpus biopsy for H.pylori. The mean age of the 660 patients included in the study was 45.4 ± 16.4 years (range 18-89). 52.6% of the patients were male (n = 347), 47.4% (n = 313) were female. Reflux esophagitis was detected in 12.7% (n: 84). Of those with reflux esophagitis, 82.1% was stage A, 10.7% was stage B, 4.8% was stage C and 2.4% was stage D. Total Helicobacter pylori positivity rate was 63% (n: 416). Helicobacter pylori ratio was found to decrease with increasing age (excluding the 80-89 age group). No significant relationship was found between reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori. As a result; Although there is no significant relationship between H.pylori positive and negative patients in terms of the incidence of reflux esophagitis, we think that prospective studies with more patients on this subject may be useful. Keywords: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, Reflux esophagitis, Endoscopy, Helicobacter Pylori, Grade