title: Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori antibodies in patients on chronic intermittent haemodialysis.
abstract: The presence of IgG antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in haemodialysis patients was studied. Furthermore the presence of antibodies in different age cohorts was compared with a population of patients suffering from non-ulcer dyspepsia and healthy blood donors. Antibodies were present in 43% of the haemodialysis patients. In the younger age groups the presence was low compared with the control populations; this difference was not present in the older age cohorts. There was an increasing prevalence of antibodies with rising age. We did not find a correlation between the height of the blood urea levels, before and after haemodialysis, and the presence of antibodies against H. pylori. In conclusion, a high blood urea level does not seem to be a risk factor, per se, for acquiring H. pylori, and the presence of the microorganism probably does not contribute, to a large extent, to the frequent dyspeptic complaints in haemodialysis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Loffeld
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Peltenburg
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: vd Oever
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stobberingh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001782:Blood Donors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial