title: [Behavior of Helicobacter pylori in 3d and 4th age-bracket patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Helicobacter pylori is known to be the pathogenic agent of atrophic gastritis and above all ulcer disease. It is also thought to play a role, together with other factors, in the development of stomach cancer and is currently the focus of numerous studies. In industrialised countries, infection is relatively commonplace in children, whereas its incidence rises more steeply in patients aged over 35, reaching a mean prevalence of 50% in over 60 year olds.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 1997 the authors carried out an epidemiological study to assay levels of anti-Helicobacter pylori (IgG anti-Hp) in a sample of 91 aged patients hospitalised in the S. Margherita Geriatric Hospital in Pavia. The patients had been admitted to hospital for various pathologies and the study also took into account gastric pathologies which usually, particularly in neoplastic forms, prefers the third and fourth ages. The assay for antibodies was performed using mouse monoclonal antibody, specific for Helicobacter pylori, absorbed on a polyester pad. A total of 5 ml of blood were collected from each patient. The blood samples were all centrifuged and the serum frozen at -20 degrees C until the tests were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 46 of the 91 patients tested were positive for anti-Helicobacter pylori antibodies, 35 were negative and 10 borderline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high level of positive results found in these patients is in line with the findings reported by other authors.
authors.affiliation: Servizio Analisi Microbiologiche, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Daturi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nicolato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giacobone
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cipolli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pannella
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tattarletti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonacasa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zambianchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G