title: High prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in saliva demonstrated by a novel PCR assay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in the saliva of patients infected with this bacterium.
  
  
  METHODS
  A novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was developed to detect H pylori in saliva and gastric biopsy specimens from patients undergoing endoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our PCR assay amplified a 417 base pair fragment of DNA from all 21 DNAs derived from H pylori clinical isolates but did not amplify DNA from 23 non-H pylori strains. Sixty three frozen gastric biopsy and 56 saliva specimens were tested. H pylori specific DNA was detected by PCR in all 39 culture positive biopsy specimens and was also identified from another seven biopsy specimens which were negative by culture but positive by histology. H pylori specific DNA was identified by PCR in saliva specimens from 30 (75%) of 40 patients with H pylori infection demonstrated by culture or histological examination, or both, and in three patients without H pylori infection in the stomach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that the oral cavity harbours H pylori and may be the source of infection and transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Gastroenterology), James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City 37684, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Musich
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013270:Stomach / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial