Seroprevalence of CagA-positive strains among Helicobacter pylori-infected, healthy young adults.
Helicobacter pylori is categorized into two phenotypes on the basis of the presence or absence of the CagA protein. CagA protein-positive H. pylori are more closely associated with peptic ulcer disease and cancer. Whether CagA-positive strains are similarly represented among racial or ethnic groups in northern California was investigated. Sera from 152 H. pylori-infected healthy young adults were tested by ELISA for IgG against CagA. CagA antibodies were detected in 79.4% of blacks, 63.8% of Hispanics, and 50% of whites. After adjusting for demographic factors, blacks had significantly more infections with CagA-positive H. pylori than did whites (odds ratio [OR] = 5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-15.3) or Hispanics (OR = 5.5, 95% CI = 1.9-16.0). Also, there was a higher prevalence of CagA in persons born in developing countries than in persons born in industrialized nations (OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.3-9.4). This suggests either a genetic predisposition of racial or ethnic groups to infection with particular H. pylori phenotypes or transmission of H. pylori within relatively segregated population groups.
Parsonnet
J
J
Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5092, USA.
Replogle
M
M
Yang
S
S
Hiatt
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002140:California; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori