Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in patients with chronic bronchitis.
BACKGROUND
A high Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence has been found in many extragastrointestinal disorders. Moreover, it has been reported that the risk of chronic bronchitis may be increased in H. pylori-infected patients. The aim of this study was to assess the H. pylori seroprevalence in patients with chronic bronchitis.


METHODS
We evaluated 144 patients with chronic bronchitis (81 men and 63 women, aged 53.2+/-12.7 years) and 120 age and sex-matched control subjects. All enrolled subjects (bronchitic patients and controls) underwent an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IgG serologic test for H. pylori diagnosis.


RESULTS
A correlation between age and H. pylori IgG level was detected for both bronchitic patients (r = 0.42; P = 0.004) and controls (r = 0.44; P = 0.004). H. pylori seropositivity in the chronic bronchitis group was significantly higher than that in controls (83.3% vs 60%; P = 0.007). The mean serum concentration of IgG antibodies against H. pylori was also significantly higher in patients with chronic bronchitis than in the control subjects (38.7+/-24.1 U/ml vs 25.9+/-19.3 U/ml; P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
Helicobacter pylori infection may be associated with chronic bronchitis. Further studies should be undertaken to confirm our results and to clarify the potential underlying pathogenetic mechanisms.
Roussos
Anastasios
A
Ninth Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Sotiria Chest Diseases Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Tsimpoukas
Fotios
F
Anastasakou
Evgenia
E
Alepopoulou
Dionissia
D
Paizis
Ioannis
I
Philippou
Nikiforos
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G