One year follow-up of patients after successful helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the Helicobacter pylori (Hp) status of patients who underwent successful eradication therapy 1 year prior to the study and to evaluate their current symptoms. METHODS: all of the patients were initially evaluated by oesophago-gastro-bulboscopy and the Hp status was determined by at least two different methods rapid urease test, histology or urea breath test (UBT)]. The Hp infection was treated with a 1-week triple therapy protocol, and the UBT was repeated 4-6 weeks later. We invited back 110 patients who had negative post-eradication UBT results 12+/-3 months prior to the study period. UBT was repeated and a questionnaire was completed about the previous and present complaints and medication. RESULTS: 80 of the 110 patients (73%) came back for the follow-up. Twenty five patients had peptic ulcer disease, 36 patients had gastritis or duodenitis without erosive lesions, and 19 patients had erosive form of gastritis or duodenitis initially. All of the patients except one in the erosive gastritis group had negative control UBT 1 year after the eradication, which means 1.25% recurrence rate within 1 year. The eradication therapy completely revealed the symptoms of 16 patients in the ulcer group (64%), 13 patients in the gastroduodenitis group (36%, P=0.03 vs. ulcer patients), 10 patients with erosive gastroduodenitis (52%), but this was only temporary. One year after the eradication therapy seven of the ulcer patients (28%), 11 patients with gastroduodenitis (31%) and seven patients with erosive gastroduodenitis (37%) were symptom-free. Most of the patients had epigastric pain (44%), heartburn (43%) and/or abdominal distension (33%). Nine ulcer patients (36%), 10 patients with gastroduodenitis (28%) and five patients with erosive gastroduodenitis (26%) were taking H(2)-blockers regularly. CONCLUSION: the 1-month post-eradication UBT was probable true negative in all of the evaluated cases, since 79 patients (98.75%) were also negative after 1 year. The Hp recurrence rate is very low (1.25%) in a 1-year period. The symptoms were relieved shortly after eradication therapy in the majority of patients with ulcer disease or erosive lesions. However, significantly smaller portion of the patients with gastroduodenitis became symptom-free. Only about one third of the treated patients remained symptom-free 1 year after the eradication.