Relationship between time-varying status of reflux esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori and progression to long-segment Barrett’s esophagus: time-dependent Cox proportional-hazards analysis

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Abstract
Background: Reflux esophagitis (RE) and absence of Helicobacter pylori (non-H. pylori) are considered to be associated with the progression to long-segment Barrett’s esophagus (LSBE). However, it is difficult to assess this association because RE and H. pylori status can change during follow-up. Additionally, the association between H. pylori eradication and LSBE remains unclear. Methods: A total of 11,493 asymptomatic Japanese subjects who underwent medical check-ups and were endoscopically diagnosed with short-segment Barrett’s esophagus (SSBE) between May 2006 and December 2015 were enrolled. The hazards of progression to LSBE were compared between time-varying RE and H. pylori infection/eradication by time-dependent multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results A total of 7,637 subjects who underwent additional medical check-ups after being diagnosed with endoscopic SSBE were analyzed. Subjects with RE and without current/past H. pylori infection were strongly associated with a higher rate of progression to LSBE (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 7.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.48–20.73, p < 0.001 for RE and non-H. pylori vs. non-RE and H. pylori groups). Subjects with H. pylori had a lower rate of progression to LSBE (adjusted HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.22–1.07, p = 0.07 for H. pylori vs. non-H. pylori). Hazards of progression to LSBE were still lower in the H. pylori eradication group than that of the non-H. pylori group (adjusted HR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.18–1.46, p = 0.21). Conclusions RE and non-H. pylori were associated with the progression to LSBE, considering the changes in exposures. H. pylori eradication may not increase the rate of progression to LSBE.

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