The relationship between gastric-oral Helicobacter pylori and oral hygiene in patients with vitamin B12-deficiency anemia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between gastric and oral Helicobacter pylori and oral hygiene in patients with vitamin B12 deficiency.


METHODS
One hundred eight patients with vitamin B12 deficiency who were H pylori -positive in their gastric mucosa were enrolled in the study. These patients were divided into 3 groups determined by Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) scores of good, fair, or poor. H pylori was detected in the dental plaque with camphylobacter-like organism test gels. All patients were treated with a combination regimen to eradicate H pylori.


RESULTS
H pylori positivity in dental plaque was correlated with OHI scores; the positivity was 28.5%, 90.2%, or 100% in patients with good, fair, or poor OHI scores, respectively. The eradication of H pylori was associated with recovery from anemia and increased serum vitamin B12 level (P <.0001 and P <.0001). The patients with poor OHI scores had the most frequent gastric recurrence of H pylori (58.3%) compared with those with fair OHI scores (41.2%) and good OHI scores (4.8%).


CONCLUSIONS
H pylori seems to be an etiologic factor in vitamin B12 deficiency, since anemia was cured and the level of vitamin B12 in the serum increased as a result of its eradication. However, eradication of H pylori from gastric mucosa alone is not enough to prevent gastric recurrence of the bacteria. Proper oral hygiene must be established to eliminate H pylori in dental plaque. Therefore, we suggest that control of H pylori in dental plaque is necessary to control recurrence of H pylori.
Avcu
N
N
Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology, Hacettepe Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey. aural@gata.edu.tr
Avcu
F
F
Beyan
C
C
Ural
A U
AU
Kaptan
K
K
Ozyurt
M
M
Nevruz
O
O
Yalçin
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000752:Anemia, Pernicious / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000145:classification; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D010406:Penicillins; D000658:Amoxicillin; D017291:Clarithromycin; D009853:Omeprazole; D014805:Vitamin B 12