title: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in malignant and premalignant conditions of the head and neck.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori is an accepted cause of chronic active gastritis and has a major causative role in peptic ulceration. It is a gastric carcinogen. Its role in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) is less clear; yet 50 per cent of patients with NUD are infected with H pylori. H pylori has been investigated in several other organ systems, but has not been investigated extensively in squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract, a region which could be directly exposed to the bacterium by gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR). In this study 61 patients with severe laryngeal dysplasia or frank carcinoma of the head and neck are striated by age, investigated for the presence of antibodies to H pylori and compared to age and sex matched controls. In the age group of 46-61 years, the presence of H pylori antibodies was marginally greater in the experimental (63.0 per cent) than the control group (40.7 per cent) (Pearson Chi square p = 0.055, Fisher 2-sided exact test p = 0.066). When combining this age group with the younger age group and thereby creating two roughly equal groups (n = 31 and n = 30) there was also a statistical trend towards increased positivity in the experimental group. These findings are discussed in the light of other studies with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
authors.affiliation: Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital and The Bromley Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lavy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000382:microbiology*