Is there a relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and erosive reflux disease in children?

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and erosive reflux disease in children. Methods: A total of 206 children [mean age 8.4 ± 4.9 (0.16-18) years] who underwent diagnostic upper endoscopy were tested for H. pylori infection between 2002 and 2005 and the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease was investigated retrospectively. Endoscopic and histopathological findings were examined retrospectively. When reflux-related oesophageal damage was identified as a result of the histological examination of endoscopic biopsy samples collected from distal oesophagus, the patients were diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and divided into two groups: those with macroscopic erosions or ulceration constituted the erosive oesophagitis group; those without constituted the non-erosive reflux disease group. Results: Prevalence of H. pylori infection was 31.3% in the patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and 36.7% in the control group (p > 0.05). Prevalence of erosive oesophagitis was found to be 23.8% in the patients with H. pylori infection and 41.3% in those without (p > 0.05). Conclusion: No negative significant association was found between the prevalence of H. pylori infection and erosive oesophagitis. Presence of H. pylori infection did not influence the severity of oesophagitis either. © 2009 Foundation Acta Pædiatrica.