[Helicobacter pylori prevalence in Raynaud's disease].
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies have suggested that the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori may be more frequent in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP) compared to healthy subjects. These data prompted us to conduct this prospective study, in order to assess the prevalence of H. pylori infection in a large series of patients with PRP.


METHODS
Forty consecutive patients with a definite diagnosis of PRP were included in the study. The findings in the PRP patients were compared with those of 80 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. H. pylori infection was diagnosed using serology and urease breath test.


RESULTS
The prevalence of H. pylori infection was as high as 12.5% in PRP patients using both serology and urease breath test, whereas it was found to be 16.7% and 18%, respectively, in healthy controls.


CONCLUSIONS
As prevalence of H. pylori infection was similar in PRP patients compared to controls (P=0.53 and 0.43, respectively), our data underscore that H. pylori infection may not play a role in the genesis of PRP-related vascular complication onset. Interestingly, PRP patients exhibited more commonly digestive symptoms consistent with H. pylori infection compared to controls (P<0.05).
Hervé
F
F
Département de médecine interne, CHU de Rouen-Boisguillaume, 76031 Rouen cedex, France.
Cailleux
N
N
Benhamou
Y
Y
Ducrotté
P
P
Lemeland
J-F
JF
Denis
P
P
Marie
I
I
Lévesque
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires