title: High seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with systemic sclerosis: association with esophageal involvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and clinical relevance of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples were obtained from 124 patients with SSc (67 with limited cutaneous SSc, 57 with diffuse cutaneous SSc). Fifty samples from age and sex matched individuals were used as controls. IgG antibodies to H. pylori infection were measured by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IgG antibodies to H. pylori were found in 55.6% (69 of 124) of the patients with SSc, significantly more than in the controls. There was a significant correlation of the presence of antibodies to H. pylori with the prevalence of esophageal hypomotility in the patients with SSc (p < 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with SSc have H. pylori infection at a higher prevalence than the general population. H. pylori might play a role in the development of esophageal dysfunction in SSc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo University, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yazawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G