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Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of smoking and drinking habits, in separate and joint analyses, on the efficacy of H. pylori eradication. Materials and methods: A total of 250 patients were recruited. They were treated with a 7-day course of omeprazole, amoxicillin, tinidazole (OAT), omeprazole amoxicillin, clarithromycin (OAC) or omeprazole, clarithromycin, tinidazole (OCT). The efficacy of H. pylori eradication was tested with a CLO-test and histology 4 weeks after the completion of antibacterial therapy. Results: Drinking was found not to affect the efficacy of H. pylori eradication in any therapeutic group, while smoking decreased it in the OAC group (smokers 69.6%, non-smokers 94.3%, p = 0.006). In the OAT treated group H. pylori eradication rate was lower in smokers-non-drinkers than in smokers-drinkers and non-smokers-non-drinkers (38.9% vs 83.2% and 70.0%, p=0.002 and p=0.034, respectively), while in the OAC treated group, smokers-non-drinkers had lower eradication efficacy than non-smokers-drinkers and non-smokers-non-drinkers (59.1% vs 100% and 91.3%, p=0.01 and p=0.012, respectively). In the OCT treated group, differences between subgroups were not significant. Conclusions: Smoking and drinking habits when analyzed jointly are more useful to predict the outcome of H. pylori eradication than when analyzed separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Erosive esophagitis frequently develops after successful Helicobacter pylori eradication. Since salivary secretion of epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease, the current study objective was to find out whether erosive esophagitis development after Helicobacter pylori eradication is associated with tile secretion of EGF in saliva. Materials and methods: A total of 115 H. pylori infected patients (positive results of CLO-test, histology and serology) with a duodenal ulcer were recruited for the study. Gastroscopic examinations and saliva collections were performed twice, prior to H. pylori eradication and one year after its cessation. The salivary EGF was determined using a radioimmunological method. Results: Salivary EGF secretion was lower in H. pylori infected subjects with erosive esophagitis than without (0.82±0.66 vs 1.70±3.49 ng/min. p=0.021). However, a year after successful H. pyfori eradication, salivary EGF did not differ between the groups (2.17±2.06 vs 1.79±2.06 ng/min); the lack of difference was due to high peptide secretion in patients who developed erosive esophagitis after eradication. Conclusion: Erosive esophagitis development following H. pylori eradication is not the result of decreased salivary EGF secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]