Evaluating the clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of direct access endoscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Direct access endoscopy (DAE) allows primary care physicians (PCPs) to refer patients with concerning symptoms for endoscopy in a timely manner. Guidelines are available to assist PCPs in appropriately selecting patients for DAE. The objective of this study was to evaluate both the clinical benefit and cost effectiveness of an upper gastrointestinal (UGI) DAE program. METHODS: The diagnostic yield of DAE patients attending for UGI studies was evaluated using a prospectively maintained database from 2004 to 2011. The diagnosis of UGI neoplasia, Barretts oesophagus, peptic ulcer disease or other conditions were recorded. In addition the age of the patient and the indication for the UGI endoscopy as per the PCP was compared with National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for UGI endoscopy. RESULTS: PCPs referred 4262 patients for UGI endoscopy. Oesophageal cancer was diagnosed in 7 and gastric cancer was identified in 27 patients. This represents a diagnostic yield overall of 0.8% for UGI cancers. Barretts oesophagus was identified in 148 (3.5%) and 185 patients (4.34%) were diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. Interestingly, 3734 patients (87.6%) had a normal UGI endoscopy through our DAE program representing a cost of 2,296,410 Euro. In patients under 40 years of age the diagnostic yield for UGI cancer was 0.14%. More importantly, 92.2% of UGI endoscopies in patients less 40 years of age were normal. CONCLUSION: It is essential that PCPs adhere to published guidelines prior to referring patients to the DAE program. Furthermore, patients under 40 years of age may represent a subset of patients that may not benefit from immediate UGI endoscopy through a direct access program.

Color matrix refractive index sensors using coupled vertical silicon nanowire arrays.

Vivid colors are demonstrated in silicon nanowires with diameters ranging from 105 to 346 nm. The nanowires are vertically arranged in a square lattice with a pitch of 400 nm and are electromagnetically coupled to each other, resulting in frequency-dependent reflection spectra. Since the coupling is dependent on the refractive index of the medium surrounding the nanowires, the arrays can be used for sensing. A simple sensor is demonstrated by observing the change in the reflected color with changing refractive index of the surrounding medium. A refractive index resolution of 5 × 10(-5) is achieved by analyzing bright-field images captured with an optical microscope equipped with a charge coupled device camera.

Towards continuous improvement of endoscopy standards: validation of a colonoscopy assessment form.

AIM: The assessment of procedural colonoscopy skills is important and topical. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a competency-based colonoscopy assessment form that would be easy to use, suitable for the assessment of junior and senior endoscopists and potentially a useful instrument to detect differences in performance standards following different training interventions. METHOD: A standardized assessment form was developed incorporating a checklist with dichotomous yes/no responses and a global assessment section incorporating several different elements. This form was used prospectively to evaluate colonoscopy cases during the period of the study in several university teaching hospitals. Results were analysed using ANOVA with Bonferroni corrections for post hoc analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-one procedures were assessed, performed by eight consultant and 19 trainee endoscopists. There were no serious errors. When divided into three groups based on previous experience (novice, intermediate and expert) the assessment form demonstrated statistically significant differences between all three groups (P<0.05). When separate elements were taken into account, the global assessment section was a better discriminator of skill level than the checklist. CONCLUSION: This form is a valid, easy-to-use assessment method. We intend to use it to assess the value of simulator training in trainee endoscopists. It also has the potential to be a useful training tool when feedback is given to the trainee.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication post-oesophageal stenting: an unusual case.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication post-oesophageal stenting is uncommon and yet to be reported. We report the case of a 57-year-old palliative lady who underwent surgery for symptomatic relief of severe gastrooesophageal reflux post-oesophageal stenting. Surgery was carried out successfully with no complications. On the evening post-surgery she was able to lie supine for the first time in months without symptoms of reflux. In conclusion, surgery is still valuable and may play an important role, even in a palliative setting.

Quality of colonoscopy performance among gastroenterology and surgical trainees: a need for common training standards for all trainees?

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Cecal intubation and polyp detection rates are objective measures of colonoscopy performance. Minimum cecal intubation rates greater than 90% have been endorsed by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) UK. Performance data for medical and surgical trainee endoscopists are limited, and we used endoscopy quality parameters to compare these two groups. METHODS: Retrospective review of all single-endoscopist colonoscopies done by gastroenterology and surgical trainees ("registrars," equivalent to fellows, postgraduate year 5) with more than two years' endoscopy experience, in 2006 and 2007 at a single academic medical center. Completion rates and polyp detection rates for endoscopists performing more than 50 colonoscopies during the study period were audited. Colonoscopy withdrawal time was prospectively observed in a representative subset of 140 patients. RESULTS: Among 3079 audited single-endoscopist colonoscopies, seven gastroenterology trainees performed 1998 procedures and six surgery trainees performed 1081. The crude completion rate was 82%, 84% for gastroenterology trainees and 78% for surgery trainees (P < 0.0001). Adjusted for poor bowel preparation quality and obstructing lesions, the completion rate was 89%; 93% for gastroenterology trainees, and 84% for surgical trainees (P < 0.0001). The polyp detection rate was 19% overall, with 21% and 14% for gastroenterology and surgical trainees, respectively (P < 0.0001). The adenoma detection rate in patients over 50 was 12%; gastroenterology trainees 14% and surgical trainees 9% (P = 0.0065). In the prospectively audited procedures, median withdrawal time was greater in the gastroenterology trainee group and polyp detection rates correlated closely with withdrawal time (r = 0.99). CONCLUSION: The observed disparity in endoscopic performance between surgical and gastroenterology trainees suggests the need for a combined or unitary approach to endoscopy training for specialist medical and surgical trainees.

Post-operative pain after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for Crohn's disease: a case control study.

AIM: Surgery for Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by an enhanced inflammatory response. While inflammation can induce hyperalgesia, post-operative pain following surgery for CD has not been characterized. This retrospective study compared a consecutive series of patients undergoing laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for CD and neoplasia performed by a single surgeon. METHOD: Elective resections performed between Jan-2016 and Aug-2017 managed in an enhanced recovery pathway were eligible for inclusion. Patients were excluded if open surgery was performed, an ileostomy was fashioned, no patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was used or data were incomplete. Results : 38 cases were included, 20 for neoplasia and 18 for ileocolonic CD. There was no difference in patient gender (P=0.520). CD patients were younger (39.8±2.8 Vs 77.2±2.1 years, P<0.001) but had an equivalent length of resection (312.9±43.5 Vs 283.3±71.7 mm, P=0.915). CD patients had higher pain scores on post-operative day 1 (6.8±0.8 Vs 2.6±1.0, P<0.001), day 2 (5.0±0.5 Vs 1.6±0.9, P<0.001) and day 3 (4.1±0.6 Vs 1.3±0.7, P=0.008). CD patients used their PCA for longer (85.7±16.3 Vs 47.7±4.2 hours, P=0.017) and used a greater total amount of morphine (148.6±33.8 Vs 37.0±7.8 mg, P<0.001). Post-operative CRP was higher in patients with CD on day 1 (P=0.011), day 2 (P=0.001), day 3 (P=0.001) and day 4 (P=0.007), but no leak or intra-abdominal abscess occurred in either group. RESULTS: 38 cases were included, 20 for neoplasia and 18 for ileocolonic CD. There was no difference in patient gender (P=0.520). CD patients were younger (39.8±2.8 Vs 77.2±2.1 years, P<0.001) but had an equivalent length of resection (312.9±43.5 Vs 283.3±71.7 mm, P=0.915). CD patients had higher pain scores on post-operative day 1 (6.8±0.8 Vs 2.6±1.0, P<0.001), day 2 (5.0±0.5 Vs 1.6±0.9, P<0.001) and day 3 (4.1±0.6 Vs 1.3±0.7, P=0.008). CD patients used their PCA for longer (85.7±16.3 Vs 47.7±4.2 hours, P=0.017) and used a greater total amount of morphine (148.6±33.8 Vs 37.0±7.8 mg, P<0.001). Post-operative CRP was higher in patients with CD on day 1 (P=0.011), day 2 (P=0.001), day 3 (P=0.001) and day 4 (P=0.007), but no leak or intra-abdominal abscess occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: CD patients experience increased post-operative pain, require more post-operative analgesia and have an enhanced post-operative inflammatory response. Further studies to elucidate the mechanism of this hyperalgesia and strategies to obviate it are required.

Assessment of adherence to published surveillance guidelines--opportunity to enhance efficiency of endoscopic practice.

Strict adherence to recommended surveillance intervals is important in ensuring timely access for patients awaiting endoscopy. This study aimed to characterise adherence rates to surveillance endoscopy guidelines. All surveillance procedures scheduled between January and December 2006 were reviewed. Surveillance procedures were classified as: a) Barrett's oesophagus, b) chronic IBD, c) prior adenomatous colorectal polyps and, d) prior surgical resection of colorectal cancer. 441 endoscopies were scheduled for surveillance of which 195 (44.2%) were scheduled at an inappropriate interval; all were scheduled prematurely. Of these, 50 of 133 (37.6%) Barrett's patients, 92 of 213 (43.2%) patients with prior colonic polyps, 36 of 48 (75.0%) patients with prior colonic malignancy and 17 of 47 (36.2%) patients for IBD surveillance were scheduled prematurely. Almost half of all surveillance procedures were scheduled inappropriately early. This 'over-surveillance' represents an unnecessary additional burden on the current endoscopic workload.

Plasmablastic lymphoma presenting as a paravertebral mass in a patient with Crohn's disease after immunosuppressive therapy.

The case of a 32-year-old man with a paravertebral mass and skin nodules, occurring against a background of immunosuppressive therapy for Crohn's disease, is presented. The tumours showed morphological and immunophenotypical features of plasmablastic lymphoma. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of plasmablastic lymphoma presenting in this location, and also after immunosuppression with infliximab treatment for Crohn's disease.

Emphysematous cystitis in an elderly patient with ulcerative colitis.

Emphysematous cystitis is a rare complication of lower urinary tract infections. The disease is characterized by air within the bladder wall and lumen and commonly occurs in middle-aged diabetic women. Intramural bladder gas seen on imaging is pathognomonic for this condition. The severity of the illness varies widely from cases diagnosed incidentally to patients presenting with life-threatening sepsis. We report the case of an 80-year-old non-diabetic man presenting with emphysematous cystitis after a total colectomy for ulcerative colitis.

Telomerase activity in proximal and distal gastric neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions using immunohistochemical detection of hTERT.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of distal (corpus and antrum) gastric adenocarcinoma is decreasing with a simultaneous increase in incidence of proximal (cardia) adenocarcinoma. Epidemiological studies suggest that they may represent different diseases but corroborative molecular data are scarce. Intestinal metaplasia may have a lower malignant potential in the proximal stomach but regardless of the locations, its specificity as a predictor of carcinoma is low. AIMS: The aim of this study was to establish whether human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression differs at various points in proximal versus distal gastric carcinogenesis and to test the utility of human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression as a marker of cancer risk in intestinal metaplasia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Wax-embedded tissue from proximal and distal stomach including normal mucosa (n=86), intestinal metaplasia (n=83) and carcinoma (n=101) were used and slides were immunostained for human telomerase reverse transcriptase and pRb and scored semi-quantitatively. RESULTS: The results showed that in both proximal and distal stomach, human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression rates increased from normal mucosa to cancer. High rates of human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression were seen in the proliferative zones of glands in intestinal metaplasia. In both the locations, loss of pRb expression correlated with higher human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, telomerase activity appears to be an early event in both proximal and distal gastric carcinogenesis and human telomerase reverse transcriptase is expressed in intestinal metaplasia. Telomerase re-expression may be facilitated by pRb inactivation.

Increasing rates and changing patterns of hospital admissions for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Ireland: 1996-2001.

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory bowel diseases require frequent hospital visits. The literature suggests that the incidence of IBD may be increasing. AIM: To investigate the pattern of admissions of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to hospital over a five-year period (between 1996 and 2001). METHODS: We obtained national data regarding admission rates for patients with IBD from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) during the years 1996 and 2001. Local data were gathered from the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme for the same years. RESULTS: Over this five-year period, there has been a substantial increase in the rate of admission with IBD (58% for Crohn's disease and 25% for ulcerative colitis), in particular in the number of day-case admissions for patients with Crohn's disease (125%). There has been little change in the number of patients undergoing surgery for their disease (Crohn's disease; 24% vs 20% and Ulcerative colitis; 17% vs 16.6%) and in the length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Despite an increase in the rate of admission with IBD, there has been little change in the rates of surgical intervention and length of stay. The most dramatic increase was seen in the day-case admissions for patients with Crohn's disease and may reflect the use of anti-TNFalpha (infliximab) in the treatment of this disease.

The importance of microbiological investigations, medications and artificial feeding in diarrhoea evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhoea in hospitalised patients is usually attributed to medications especially antibiotics, enteral tube feeding or enteropathogenic bacteria particularly Clostridium difficile. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the investigations performed on patients who developed diarrhoea during their stay in an acute general hospital. METHOD: Over 18 working days, an unselected group of adult inpatients who developed diarrhoea following their admission to hospital were reviewed. Symptoms, medications, nutritional support and any investigations performed were assessed. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients developed diarrhoea. Forty-nine (60%) were receiving antibiotics prior to the development of symptoms, 30 (37%) were being enterally tube fed, 14 (17%) had positive stool for Clostridium difficile A and B toxin and 3 (4%) had salmonella species positive stool. CONCLUSION: The majority of cases of diarrhoea were related to medications and enteral tube feeding. A small but significant number did develop bacterial infections. In contrast to some suggested guidelines, when investigating hospital acquired diarrhoea, it is considered worthwhile to perform microbiological stool examinations.

Short report: short-term triple therapy for H. pylori-associated duodenal ulcer disease.

Thirty consecutive patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulceration who had Helicobacter pylori infection on culture and histology, were treated with tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate (1 tablet q.d.s., 400 mg metronidazole t.d.s. and 500 mg tetracycline t.d.s. for one week, followed by the bismuth salt for a further 3 weeks. All patients were endoscoped at entry and 4 weeks after cessation of treatment, to check for ulcer healing and H. pylori eradication. Two antral biopsies were taken at each endoscopy for histological and microbiological evidence of H. pylori infection. Complete healing of duodenal ulcers was observed in 27/30 patients (90%). Gastritis improved or completely resolved in 26 patients. Eradication of H. pylori was achieved in 27 patients. Of the three patients who failed to heal, two were H. pylori-positive at follow-up and one was H. pylori-negative.

A randomized prospective comparison of clarithromycin versus amoxycillin in combination with omeprazole for eradication of Helicobacter pylori.

AIM: To compare H. pylori eradication rates using omeprazole in conjunction with either amoxycillin or clarithromycin. BACKGROUND: Omeprazole with amoxycillin is the most widely used dual therapy regimen for eradication of H. pylori. A recent open study suggested a high eradication rate combining omeprazole with the newer macrolide, clarithromycin. METHODS: A randomized prospective trial in 54 patients was conducted to compare 2 weeks of treatment with omeprazole 40 mg once daily and either amoxycillin 500 mg three times daily or clarithromycin 500 mg three times daily. H. pylori eradication was assessed using the 13C urea breath test. RESULTS: Eradication was achieved in 18/26 (69.2%) of subjects treated with omeprazole and amoxycillin and 18/25 (72.0%) of those treated with omeprazole and clarithromycin (P = N.S.). Minor side effects, most commonly altered taste, were reported by 16% of patients and were more frequent in those randomized to clarithromycin (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These regimens are similarly effective. However, clarithromycin is more expensive, associated with a greater frequency of side effects and, unlike amoxycillin, resistance by H. pylori has been reported. This suggests that clarithromycin may be a useful alternative when there is penicillin allergy or previous treatment failure, but it should not replace amoxycillin as first choice in omeprazole-based dual therapy.

Changing patterns of sedation use for routine out-patient diagnostic gastroscopy between 1989 and 1998.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of sedation trends for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is important for health service planning, particularly in view of rapidly increasing demands on endoscopy services. However, no data are available on sedation trends in Britain over the past 10 years. AIM: To determine sedation use for routine gastroscopy in a single endoscopy unit between 1989 and 1998. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 9795 consecutive adults (mean age 56 years, range 18-100 years; 4512 females) who had undergone a gastroscopy between 1989 and 1998. Clinical, pharmacological and endoscopic data were retrieved from a computerized database. RESULTS: Over the 10-year study period, the sedation rate remained constant for patients undergoing therapeutic endoscopy (P=0.99) and those undergoing in-patient diagnostic examinations (P=0.63). In contrast, the sedation rate for out-patient diagnostic endoscopy decreased by 54%, from a high of 70% in 1990 to 32% in 1998 (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the decline in sedation use was greater in females (P < 0.0001) than males and in procedures performed by non-consultant compared to consultant staff (P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: If our results form part of a national trend, they will have important implications for cardiopulmonary monitoring strategies, recovery room practices and for complication rates due to the use of sedation for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

A double-blind randomized trial of low-dose versus high-dose topical anaesthesia in unsedated upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is frequently performed on unsedated subjects. Pharyngeal anaesthesia is thought to improve patient tolerance to the procedure but the optimum dose of anaesthesia is not known. The aim of this study was to assess the benefits of low-dose vs. high-dose topical anaesthesia in unsedated gastroscopy. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen subjects attending for diagnostic gastroscopy were studied. Patients were randomized to receive either 30 mg or 100 mg of topical pharyngeal lidocaine spray prior to endoscopy in a double-blind fashion. Subjects completed a questionnaire before and after endoscopy. RESULTS: A similar proportion of patients in each group required intravenous sedation because of discomfort or anxiety during the procedure (P = 0.48). The high-dose group experienced less discomfort during endoscope insertion (P = 0.002) and throughout the examination (P = 0.01). Overall satisfaction was almost identical in the two groups (P = 0.85) and a similar percentage of the high-dose and low-dose groups stated that they would request sedation prior to future endoscopy (37 vs. 44%; P = 0.48). Further analysis showed that apprehensive patients and younger patients reported relatively high levels of discomfort, and that female subjects were more likely to express a preference for sedation at any future gastroscopy. CONCLUSION: High-dose pharyngeal anaesthesia reduces patient discomfort during unsedated upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, patient tolerance is also influenced by clinical features, which might be useful in deciding which patients are suitable for this procedure.

Early experience with intrasphincteric botulinum toxin in the treatment of achalasia.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports have suggested that intrasphincteric injection of botulinum toxin is effective and long-lasting in the treatment of achalasia. AIM: To report our experience of botulinum toxin injection in a prospective series of consecutive patients with achalasia. METHODS: Eleven consecutive patients with achalasia (eight male, mean age 55 years, range 20-87) were treated with 60 units of botulinum toxin (Dysport; Speywood Pharmaceuticals Ltd, UK) into each of four quadrants at the lower oesophageal sphincter. Patients were assessed pre-treatment and 1 month after treatment using a symptom score and oesophageal manometry. Median follow-up was 12 months (range 6-28). RESULTS: The injection procedure was simple to perform and free of adverse effects. Although treatment had a beneficial effect on dysphagia (median pre-treatment score 3 [interquartile range 3-3]; post-treatment score 2 [0-3]: P=0.03) 1 month following therapy, there was no significant improvement in chest pain or regurgitation scores. Similarly, no significant reduction in median lower oesophageal sphincter pressure was observed (29.5 mmHg [21-42] pre-treatment, 28.5 [17.5-55.5] post-treatment P=0.67). Four patients (36%) required further therapy within 3 months and the overall relapse rate was 73% (eight of 11) within 2 years. CONCLUSION: Although botulinum toxin injection was well tolerated, these results using Dysport at a dose of 240 mouse units question its efficacy as a treatment for achalasia.

Gastric alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations in association with Helicobacter pylori infection.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of Helicobacter pylori infection and its associated gastric histology on alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations in serum, gastric juice and antral mucosa were investigated in patients undergoing routine gastroscopy for investigation of dyspepsia. METHOD: Eighty-six patients were studied. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations. H. pylori infection was assessed by histology, bacterial culture, rapid urease test and serology. RESULTS: No obvious association was found between age, sex, smoking or endoscopic diagnosis and alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene concentrations in serum, gastric juice and antral mucosa. However, alcohol drinkers had significantly lower antral mucosal and gastric juice beta-carotene concentrations compared to non-drinkers. Gastric juice beta-carotene concentration was markedly lower in patients infected with H. pylori than uninfected controls (2.9 nmol/l (interquartile range 0.3-4.3) versus 4.6 nmol/l (interquartile range 3.5-7.6), P = 0.01), but there was no significant difference in serum or gastric mucosal beta-carotene concentrations between the two patient groups. The presence of gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia was significantly associated with reduced mucosal alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations. Furthermore, antral mucosal alpha-tocopherol concentrations decreased progressively as antral mucosal histology changed from normal to chronic gastritis alone and finally to atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSION: Gastric alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations are affected by H. pylori-associated gastric histological changes, and these findings suggest that H. pylori infection may not only impair the protective role of vitamin C, but also of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene in the stomach.

Does CagA contribute to ulcer pathogenesis in a developing country, such as Sudan?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In Western populations, peptic ulcer disease is closely associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains expressing the CagA antigen. In Africa the prevalence of H. pylori infection and peptic ulcer disease is high, although information regarding potential virulence factors is lacking. This study examines the prevalence of antibodies to CagA both in African patients with dyspepsia who are undergoing gastroscopy, and in asymptomatic healthy African volunteers. METHODS: Eighty two consecutive patients (median age 34 years, range 15-73 years), attending for gastroscopy were studied, of whom 78 (95.1%) were subsequently found to be Helicobacter positive. Three antral biopsies were obtained from each patient and 5 ml of blood was taken for determination of CagA seropositivity using western blot analysis. CagA seropositivity was also determined in 65 H. pylori positive healthy volunteers (median age 30 years, range 18-70 years), with no symptoms or previous history of gastroduodenal disease. RESULTS: Of the 78 H. pylori positive patients, CagA seropositivity was present in all 22 patients with active peptic ulcer disease (100%), in eight of nine patients with duodenitis (89%), in 15 of 19 patients with macroscopic gastritis (78.9%), and in 24 of 28 patients with a normal endoscopy (85.7%). On histological assessment, 46 patients had chronic active gastritis, 29 patients had gastritis with atrophy and three patients had intestinal metaplasia. CagA seropositivity rates were 84.7%, 93% and 100%, respectively, for these groups. In the 89 healthy volunteers studied, 57 of the 65 H. pylori positive subjects (87.7%) were seropositive for the CagA protein. CONCLUSIONS: As in Western countries, CagA seropositivity in this African population was closely related to endoscopic gastroduodenal disease, and to the presence of more advanced histological lesions in the antrum. However, there was also a high prevalence of CagA seropositivity in asymptomatic healthy individuals, suggesting that factors other than CagA predominate in ulcer pathogenesis in this population.