title: Helicobacter pylori and diminished growth in children: is it simply a marker of deprivation?
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is an accepted gastroduodenal pathogen and has recently been investigated for possible implications in non gastroenterological diseases such as growth impairment coronary heart disease and diabetes. Infection by cytotoxic, i.e., CagA or VacA positive strains seems more likely to lead to more serious gastroduodenal diseases compared to infection by non cytotoxic strains, but the possible role of CagA or VacA positive strains in non gastroenterological diseases has not been investigated. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection as well as CagA and VacA positivity in three paediatric populations auxologically normal, hyposomic and diabetic children. Sera from a total of 522 children (auxologically normal: 246, hyposomic: 164, diabetic: 112) were analyzed by a novel Recombinant ImmunoBlot Assay-Strip Immunoblot Assay--RIBA SIA--which contain individual band for whole Helicobacter pylori lysate and recombinant CagA and VacA. The overall seroprevalence of reactivities against Helicobacter pylori lysate, CagA and VacA were: 7.3%, 9.3%, 6.9% vs 11.6%, 7.9%, 8.5% vs 14.3%, 13.4%, 8% (p = NS) in auxologically normal, hyposomic and diabetic children, respectively. Summarizing, we found a similar prevalence of reactivity against both whole Helicobacter pylori lysate as well as recombinant CagA and VacA between auxologically normal, hyposomic and diabetic children. Our data do not support a possible role of Helicobacter pylori in diminished growth in children.
authors.affiliation: 1st Medical Clinic, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegatti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salardi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alì
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Altomare Stella
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Figura
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Landi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farinelli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cuccaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miglioli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cacciari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins