title: Helicobacter pylori in school children from the Western province of Sri Lanka.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Sri Lanka and nothing is known about its prevalence in children. Therefore the prevalence of H. pylori in a group of school children in Sri Lanka was determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of H. pylori colonisation was determined by detection of faecal antigen and salivary antibody (IgG) by enzyme immuno assay, in 184 children aged between 5 and 19 years, in the Western Province-Colombo district of Sri Lanka.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, only 12/184 (6.5%) had detectable H. pylori antigen in their stools and were considered infected with H. pylori, while 51/184 (27.7%) had H. pylori IgG in saliva. H. pylori salivary IgG declined with age while H. pylori antigen detection increased with age. H. pylori infection, as determined by salivary antibody (66%), was greater in children living in overcrowded conditions, although this was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of H. pylori among school children in Sri Lanka was 6.5% by detection of faecal antigen and 27.7% by detection of salivary antibody, respectively. Initial infection with H. pylori appeared to occur in early childhood whilst active disease began in late childhood. Overcrowding appears to facilitate the transmission of the organism. Overall the prevalence of H. pylori was low in Sri Lanka compared with other countries in South-east Asia.
authors: Department of Bacteriology, University College, London, UK.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Fernando
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Perera
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Vaira
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Holton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial