Quantitative assessment of IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori and outcome of ischaemic heart disease.
Criticisms of serological studies on Helicobacter pylori and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) include: undiagnosed heart disease in live controls; no assessment of severity or outcome of IHD; and qualitative not quantitative measurements of IgG to the bacteria. The aim was to assess quantitatively IgG levels specific for H. pylori (ng ml(-1)) among patients who survived a myocardial infarction (MI) with those who died of IHD. Sera were from four groups: (1) men who survived one MI; (2) men matched for age and socioeconomic background to group 1; (3) individuals who died suddenly of IHD; (4) accidental deaths matched for age and sex to group 3. Levels of IgG to H. pylori increased with age (P<0.005) but were not associated with smoking or socioeconomic groups. There was a correlation between IgG to the bacteria and decreasing socioeconomic levels only among group 1 (P<0.01). IgG levels were higher for subjects who died of heart disease (median=151 ng ml(-1)) compared with survivors (median=88 ng ml(-1)) (P=0.034) and higher for survivors compared with their controls (median=58 ng ml(-1)) (P=0.039). Future serological studies of H. pylori in relation to IHD should be quantitative and severity of disease considered in analyses.
Alkout
A M
AM
Department of Medical Microbiology, Forensic Medicine Unit, Medical Statistics Unit, The Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, EH8 9AG, Edinburgh, UK.
Ramsay
E J
EJ
Mackenzie
D A
DA
Weir
D M
DM
Bentley
A J
AJ
Elton
R A
RA
Sutherland
S
S
Busuttil
A
A
Blackwell
C C
CC
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000382:microbiology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G