Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in children of low socioeconomic level in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To study the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in children of low socioeconomic level in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.


METHODS
Serum samples were collected from 249 children (134 boys, 115 girls, mean age 6.4 yr, range 1 month to 18 yr) at an outpatient clinic of the University Hospital/UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Information obtained included age, gender, nutritional status, family income, domestic crowding, sewage, and water supply. H. pylori infection was identified by means of an indirect immunofluorescence assay (sensitivity, 94.3% and specificity, 100.0% in children) which detects the presence of IgG against H. pylori.


RESULTS
Ninety-seven percent of the children had an annual family income of US $5,000.00 or less, 93.7% had city water, and 79.5% had sewage. In 90.2% of the families, the number of persons per room was > 1. Of the 241 children evaluated for nutritional status, 129 (53.5%) were considered to be eutrophic, 62 (25.7%) presented mild malnutrition, 34 (14.1%) moderate malnutrition, and 16 (6.6%) severe malnutrition. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 34.1% and was similar in boys (35.8%) and girls (32.2%). The prevalence of H. pylori infection increased significantly (p = 0.001) with age as follows: 1 month-2 yr, 16.4% (11/67); 3-5 yr, 36.7% (22/60); 6-8 yr, 29.5% (13/44); 9-11 yr, 48.8% (21/43); 12-14 yr, 42.8% (9/21); and 15-18 yr, 64.3% (9/14). There was no significant difference in H. pylori infection with regard to nutritional status or the presence of sewage.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of present study demonstrate that in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, as also reported in other developing countries, H. pylori infection occurs early and increases with age.
Laboratory of Research in Bacteriology, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte/MG, Brazil.
A M
AM
Oliveira
D M
DM
Queiroz
G A
GA
Rocha
E N
EN
Mendes
D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors