Are tonsils a reservoir for Helicobacter pylori infection in children?
OBJECTIVE
Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) has been associated with the development of gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Although H. pylori infects up to more than half of the world's population, to date the precise modes of transmission has not been fully understood yet. Therefore a study was planned to investigate whether the tonsils and the adenoid tissue were the reservoir or the gate for the entrance of H. pylori.


METHODS
The adenotonsillectomy specimens obtained from 50 children, between two and 10 years of age were examined for H. Pylori colonization by the CLO-test method. Before tonsillectomy, anti-H. pylori IgG antibody titers were detected by commercial enzyme immunoassay method in venous blood and H. pylori antigen enzyme immunoassay for detection of H. pylori in stool was used to define current infection status.


RESULTS
The stool antigen was positive in 25 (50%) of 50 children. Serum IgG antibody was positive in 28 (56%) patients and both tests were positive in 21 (42%) patients. H. pylori positivity was not detected in any one of the adenotonsillectomy specimens with the CLO-test method.


CONCLUSIONS
In this study although H. pylori was detected in stools of children, it was not detected in adenotonsillectomy specimens with CLO-test method. The results may indicate that H. pylori does not colonize in either adenoid or tonsils and that these tissues do not constitute a reservoir for H. pylori infection.
Yilmaz
Mustafa
M
Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey. kmustyil@yahoo.com
Kara
Cüneyt Orhan
CO
Kaleli
Ilknur
I
Demir
Melek
M
Tümkaya
Funda
F
Büke
Akile Sarioğlu
AS
Topuz
Bülent
B
D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000234:Adenoids / Q000382:microbiology*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery