title: Helicobacter pylori density and cagA status in cirrhotic patients: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite a similar Helicobacter pylori prevalence, peptic ulcer is more frequent in cirrhotic patients than in controls. We evaluated whether cirrhotic patients had an increased bacterial density and/or a higher prevalence of H. pylori cagA-positive strains than controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 36 dyspeptic cirrhotic patients with H. pylori infection and 72 matched controls were enrolled. H. pylori infection was detected at histology on Giemsa staining, bacterial density was assessed using difference over baseline (DOB) values at 13C urea breath test, and cagA status was established at serology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, both DOB values and prevalence of cagA did not significantly differ between cirrhotic patients and controls. However, peptic ulcer controls showed significantly higher DOB value (27.9 +/- 17.4 vs 19.4 +/- 9.3, respectively; P = 0.009) and cagA positive rate (85%vs 48%; P = 0.01) than non-ulcer dyspepsia patients. Although not statistically significant, a similar trend was observed in cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer for DOB values (26.5 +/- 16.3 vs 18.3/1000 +/- 9.2, respectively; P = 0.07), whereas the cagA-positive rate was similar between peptic ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia patients (60%vs 50%; P = 0.30).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data showed that both bacterial density and cagA prevalence did not differ between cirrhotic patients and controls.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Nuovo Regina Margherita Hospital, Rome, Italy. zullo66@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Lupe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Mete
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diana
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Festuccia
authors.forename: Adolfo Francesco
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Attili
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori