Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Aug;1(4):226-35.
doi: 10.1177/2050640613484020.

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection and eradication in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: A parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study

Affiliations

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection and eradication in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: A parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study

Werner Schwizer et al. United European Gastroenterol J. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to resolve controversy regarding the effects of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy and H. pylori infection in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Design: A randomized, double-blind, multicentre trial was performed in patients presenting with reflux symptoms. H. pylori-positive patients were randomized to receive either antibiotics or placebo for 7 days. H. pylori-negative patient controls received placebo. All received esomeprazole 20 mg b.d. for 7 days, followed by 40 mg o.d. to complete an 8-week course, and were followed up for 32 weeks by telephone.

Results: In this study, 198/589 (34%) patients were H. pylori-positive and 113 H. pylori-negative patients served as controls. Baseline endoscopy revealed 63% Los Angeles grade 0A and 37% Los Angeles grade BCD oesophagitis with no difference between patient groups. Symptom improvement on esomeprazole was seen in 89%. H. pylori eradication was successful in 82%. H. pylori eradication had no effect on symptomatic relapse (hazard ratio 1.15, 95% CI 0.74-1.8; p = 0.5). Overall, H. pylori-positive patients had a lower probability of relapse compared to H. pylori-negative controls (hazard ratio 0.6, 95% CI 0.43-0.85; p = 0.004). Relapse hazard was modulated also by oesophagitis grade (BCD vs. 0A, hazard ratio 2.1, 95% CI 1.5-3.0).

Conclusion: Relapse of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease symptoms after a course of high dose acid suppression took longer for H. pylori-positive patients than H. pylori-negative controls; however eradication therapy had no effect on the risk of relapse; ClincialTrials.gov number, NCT00574925.

Keywords: H. pylori eradication therapy; Helicobacter pylori; esomeprazole; gastritis; gastro-oesophageal reflux disease; oesophagitis; symptomatic relapse.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic flow chart of Erastrat study procedures. PPI, proton pump inhibitor.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
CONSORT diagram of Erastrat study: ITT analysis. Hp, H. pylori; RanEx, H. pylori-negative patients randomly excluded from study; No result, dropouts during treatment phase, treatment failures, and dropouts on follow up.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Cox regression. The proportion of patients with sustained remission of reflux symptoms after 8 weeks of PPI therapy was similar in H. pylori-positive patients irrespective of treatment allocation to antibiotic (Anti) or placebo (Pla), but greater in the H. pylori-negative control (Con) group.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Cox regression stratified according to endoscopic findings. The proportion of patients with sustained remission of reflux symptoms after 8 weeks of PPI therapy. H. pylori status had important effects on the risk of relapse in patients with endoscopy-negative reflux disease or LA grade-A reflux oesophagitis; however H. pylori status had no effect on the relatively high risk of relapse in patients with more severe, LA grade BCD reflux oesophagitis.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Fox M, Forgacs I. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. BMJ 2006; 332: 88–93 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lagergren J, Bergstrom R, Lindgren A, et al. Symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux as a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. N Engl J Med 1999; 340: 825–831 - PubMed
    1. Kuipers EJ, Uyterlinde AM, Pena AS, et al. Increase of Helicobacter pylori-associated corpus gastritis during acid suppressive therapy: implications for long-term safety. Am J Gastroenterol 1995; 90: 1401–1406 - PubMed
    1. Richter JE, Kahrilas PJ, Johanson J, et al. Efficacy and safety of esomeprazole compared with omeprazole in GERD patients with erosive esophagitis: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Gastroenterol 2001; 96: 656–965 - PubMed
    1. Graham KS, Graham DY. Helicobacter pylori, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's esophagus, and adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus. In: Contemporary diagnosis and management of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastrointestinal diseases, 2nd ed Newtown: Pennsylvania, 2002; 128–147

Associated data