title: Helicobacter pylori DNA in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Considering not only the fact that recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and stomach ulcers are immunologically mediated ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori, but also the recent evidence that anaemia can be associated with both diseases, and the discovery of H. pylori in the oral mucosa led us to hypothesize that this bacteria may be related to RAS pathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six consecutive subjects affected by minor and major forms of RAS and 48 healthy volunteers were included in the present study. The nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect the presence of H. pylori in the oral lesion, the normal contralateral mucosa of patients affected by RAS and the oral mucosa of control subjects. The chi2- and Fisher's tests were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association between RAS lesions and H. pylori was observed. However, 14 out of 36 (38.9%) of the patients with RAS were found to show the presence of H. pylori DNA in the lesion and/or contralateral mucosa. Sixteen out of 48 (33.3%) of the patients without RAS (control subjects) were positive (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study does not give support to the assumption that H. pylori could be involved in RAS development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenue Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil CEP 31270-901.
authors.forename: Júnia Maria Netto
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Victória
authors.forename: Evanguedes
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalapothakis
authors.forename: Jeane de Fátima Correia
authors.initials: Jde F
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ricardo Santiago
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D012008:Recurrence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013281:Stomatitis, Aphthous / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial