title: Helicobacter pylori sero-prevalence in asthma.
abstract: Asthma is a very common respiratory disease which is characterized by the presence of cytokine-mediated airway inflammation leading to smooth muscle contraction, oedema and progressive airway damage in some cases. In light of our recent finding of an increased sero-prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in bronchiectasis, we have determined serum levels of H. pylori-specific IgG in asthmatic and control subjects. Altogether 90 consecutive asthmatic [mean age +/- SD 42.6+/-16 years and 52 female (F)] and 97 healthy control subjects (mean age +/- SD 43.2+/-13.3 years and 51 female (F); P = 0.78 and 0.39 respectively) were recruited prospectively. H. pylori sero-prevalence was not significantly different between asthmatic and control subjects (P>0.05). Serum H. pylori IgG levels did not correlate with FEV1 % predicted, FVC % predicted or duration of asthma (P>0.05). Similar to the results of previously published sero-epidemiological studies, there was a weak correlation between serum H. pylori IgG with increasing age (r = 0.43, P = 0.004). Despite the sero-epidemiological association of H. pylori infection with many inflammatory conditions, our data showed no such association for middle age asthmatic patients with mild intermittent asthma in our locality.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, SAR, China. kwttsang@hkucc.hku.hk
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kwok
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001249:Asthma / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G