Table 3.

The characteristics of the 381 patients evaluated for severity of endoscopic atrophy and Hp infection status.

	“Negative high” group 　 n = 137 (HpAb 3.0–9.9 U/mL)	“Over-10 U/mL” group n = 244 (HpAb ≧ 10 U/mL)	p value
Endoscopic atrophy (≧C-2)※1	75.2% (103)	96.3% (235)	p < 0.0001
Present infection	22.6% (31)	94.7% (231)	p < 0.0001
Past infection	60.6% (83)	5.3% (13)	p < 0.0001
Uninfected	16.8% (23)	0% (0)	p < 0.0001

p values were calculated by chi-square test. ^※1The Kimura-Takemoto classification system even in the “negative-high” group, 75.2% (103/137) of the patients had ≥C-2 gastric atrophy. 22.6% of patients in the “negative-high” group had a present infection. The rate of past infection was significantly higher in the “negative-high” group (60.6%) than in the “over-10 U/mL” group (p < 0.0001). The combined rate of present and past infection was 83.2% in the “negative-high” group.