title: Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in patients with unstable angina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pathogenesis of ischemic heart diseases has been correlated, on epidemiological and pathogenetic grounds, with infections by viruses and bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  of this study were to investigate the association of unstable angina (UA) with anti-H. pylori seropositivity in a case-control study and to search for the classic cardiovascular risk factors in both infected and uninfected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 32 consecutive patients (20 males, 12 females), mean age 65 years (range 42-89), with final diagnosis of UA. A total of 64 subjects (40 males, 24 females, mean age 65 years, range 42-89) admitted to the Emergency Care Unit, age and sex-matched, served as controls. The presence of hypertension, serum levels of cholesterol and glucose, plasma levels of fibrinogen, smoking habit and social class were investigated in all patients. Cases and controls were inhabitants of NorthWestern Italy, and had similar socioeconomic status as based on working place and on instruction level. H. pylori seroprevalence was assessed by the presence of antibodies (IgG) against H. pylori by means of a commercial enzyme immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibodies to H. pylori were found in 26/32 (81%) of the patients and in 34/64 (53%) of the controls (p=0.007); the odds ratio was 3.82 (95% confidence interval 1.27 to 12.04). Classical cardiovascular risk factors, such as socio-economic status, did not differ among patients with and without antibodies to H. pylori.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with unstable angina had a significantly higher seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori than the control population. Classical risk factors for ischemic heart disease, such as the indicators of socio-economic status, were equally distributed among infected or uninfected patients with UA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastro-Hepatology, Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pellicano
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mazzarello
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morelloni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berrutti
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Torriglia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzetto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponzetto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial