[Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori antibodies in patients with kidney transplantation].
BACKGROUND
Our target was to verify if belonging to a selected group of patients, who have undergone a kidney transplantation and before that suffered from high level of uremia sometimes with border line levels , could be a risk factor for acquiring HP antibodies.


METHODS
We evaluated in 23 patients, with an average age of 16.3, attending our Day-Hospital Unit to be followed up after a kidney transplant, the prevalence of anti-HP antibodies, measured in serum by the ELISA method. The prevalence in this group has been compared with that observed in a healthy cohort of 36 people.


RESULTS
Antibodies were present in 31.8% of our patients without any correlation with age, age of transplant, serum urea level, cyclosporinemia, total lgG and IgA antibodies.


CONCLUSIONS
In the end, kidney transplantation doesn't seem to be a risk factor for acquiring HP infection. Detecting HP antibodies can be a method to select patients that must undergo other strumental examinations.
Giordano
M
M
Divisione di Nefrologia e Dialisi, Ospedale Pediatrico Giovanni XXIII, Bari.
Colella
V
V
De Palma
M T
MT
Margiotta
M
M
Ierardi
E
E
Caringella
D A
DA