Helicobacter pylori infection, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. A histological and clinical study on 286 subjects

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is connected with active/chronic gastritis, gastric gastric and duodenal ulcer. It is not known whether exogenous factors are involved in Hp infection. The aim of this prospective study, performed on 286 consecutive subjects undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, was to evaluate the influence of smoking and alcohol consumption on Hp infection. For each patient the following parameters were taken into account: sex, age, smoking (no, < 10, > 10 cig/day) and alcohol (no, < 40, > 40 g ethanol/day) intake, antiulcer therapy (no, H2-blockers, omeprazole, sucralfate), presence of gastric or duodenal ulcer (DU). At least two biopsies from both the antrum and the corpus were obtained for histological examination; the gastritis was classified and scored according to the Sydney system.