title: Helicobacter pylori and laryngopharyngeal reflux in chronic rhinosinusitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigation of the potential role of several laryngopharyngeal reflux contents in sinus disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled cohort analysis of Helicobacter pylori, pepsin and pepsinogen I in inflamed and non-inflamed sinonasal tissue. Fifteen patients, selected for surgery due to chronic medically refractory rhinosinusitis, had their pathologic sinus tissue analyzed for polymerase chain reaction detection of H. pylori DNA and assayed for pepsin and pepsinogen I tissue concentration levels. A control group of 5 patients undergoing surgery for anatomic sinonasal abnormalities provided non-inflammatory mucosa specimens for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H. pylori was found scattered in inflamed and non-inflamed mucosa, whereas sinonasal tissue pepsin/pepsinogen never rose above blood levels in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence of intra-operative peptic reflux into the sinuses was not found. As H. pylori was similarly encountered in healthy and diseased sinus mucosa, it seemingly fails to support a pathogenic role for this organism in the sinuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  B-2b.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital de Pulido Valente, Alameda das Linhas de Torres 117, 1769-001 Lisbon, Portugal. borges.dinis@netc.pt
authors.forename: Paulo Borges
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Dinis
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Subtil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007013:Hypopharynx; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000378:metabolism; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000378:metabolism; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D015524:Sphenoid Sinusitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D020116:Pepsinogen A; D010434:Pepsin A