| Summary: | Background: The role of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> in the pathogenesis of reflux esophagitis is controversial. This study investigated the frequency of reflux esophagitis before and after <i>H. pylori</i> eradication in patients having endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer. Methods: This study included 160 patients that fulfilled the study’s criteria. Endoscopy was performed before and after <i>H. pylori</i> eradication, and reflux esophagitis was evaluated during the follow-up period. Results: Seropositivity for <i>H. pylori</i> in patients with early gastric cancer was 68.8%, 101 of them received eradication therapy. During the follow-up period, the incidence of reflux esophagitis increased from 3.1% to 18.8% in the successful eradication group but no case of reflux esophagitis was observed in the failed eradication group. The univariate and multivariate analyses showed a significant correlation between successful <i>H. pylori</i> eradication rate and the development of reflux esophagitis. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a successful <i>H. pylori</i> eradication therapy is a risk factor for newly developed reflux esophagitis in patients with endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer.
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