title: Helicobacter pylori and recurrent abdominal pain in children.
abstract: Recurrent abdominal pain is one of the most common presentations to pediatricians; yet an organic etiology can be found in only 10% of cases. Because infection with Helicobacter pylori in adults and children results in gastritis, a causative role for the organism has been postulated. To investigate this theory, we conducted a prospective case-control study in children with recurrent abdominal pain using serum H. pylori IgG antibodies measured by an enzyme immunoabsorbent assay. Age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were adjusted in the statistical model. Five subjects (5.1%) and 14 controls (14.3%) had raised serum IgG antibodies to H. pylori (adjusted OR, 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.05, 0.85). The negative association between H. pylori and recurrent abdominal pain indicates that this organism is unlikely to have an important etiologic role in this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hardikar
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feekery
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oberklaid
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grimwood
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G