There is epidemiological evidence of an association between cigarette smoking and gastritis. To find out whether the reason for this might be related to the presence of Helicobacter pylori, biopsies were taken from the gastric corpus and antrum and from the duodenal bulb in 106 consecutive patients referred for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy because of epigastric pain. Patients with ulcer disease or cancer were excluded. The biopsy specimens were cultured for H. pylori and examined histologically for the presence and grade of gastritis and duodenitis. Thirty-five percent of the patients were H. pylori-positive and 57% had histological gastritis; 37% were cigarette smokers and among these, H. pylori was found significantly less frequently than in non-smokers (18 and 45%, respectively; 2p = 0.0083). Among patients colonized with H. pylori, gastritis was found in 89% compared to 39% in non-colonized patients (2p < 0.0001). In spite of this, 51% of the smokers and 60% of the non-smokers (2p = 0.85) had histological gastritic mucosa. No differences in the severity of the gastritis or the duodenitis in patients with histologically positive findings could be seen when comparing smokers to non-smokers and H. pylori-positive to H. pylori-negative patients.

Serum IgG antibodies of Helicobacter pylori were detected in single-dilution ELISA using glycine extracted material. Among 148 endoscopy patients 59% displayed antibodies; as expected, a higher occurrence (90%) was found in patients with positive gastric culture for H. pylori than in culture negative patients (37%). Among 68 blood donors the frequency of H. pylori antibodies was 28%. In 73 children less than 15 years of age examined for unrelated disorders the occurrence was 4%. By immunoblotting using the same extract, 3 prominent bands, 29K, 54K and 60K and several weak bands were identified. These were formed by 57%, 92%, and 65%, respectively, of the ELISA positive patient sera. Comparing culture positive and negative patients, the 3 bands occurred more often among the culture positive subjects though between 18 and 61% of the sera from culture negative patients gave either of the bands. When comparing the glycine extracts of 4 different H. pylori strains with separate haemagglutinating patterns no differences in the position of the major bands emerged. By absorption experiments no immunological cross-reactivity with components of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Campylobacter jejuni or C. fetus was found. Thus, the glycine extract seemed specific for the detection of antibodies to H. pylori.

The effectiveness of pirenzepine at 50 mg daily in the treatment of non-ulcer dyspepsia was assessed in a double-blind 4-weeks clinical trial against placebo. 59 patients entered the trial of whom 11 defaulted or were withdrawn. 48 patients completed the trial. Clinical and laboratory assessment were performed on admission to the study and after 4 weeks treatment. The results of this double-blind comparative trial show that pirenzepine in a daily dose of 50 mg is very effective and significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of non-ulcer dyspepsia.