title: Pre-eclampsia is associated with Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pre-eclampsia (PE) is characterized by an excess of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes chronic inflammatory changes and endothelial damage. We investigated the prevalence of seropositivity for IgG against H. pylori and cytotoxin-associated antigen A (CagA) in PE patients and the presence of H. pylori DNA in their placentas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested 47 pregnant women with PE and 47 with uneventful pregnancies for serum antibodies against H. pylori (enzyme immunoassays) and CagA protein (immunoblot assays). In 20 of them (10 normal and 10 PE) we assessed the presence, in the placenta, of H. pylori DNA by means of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for parity, were calculated using logistic regression analysis to assess the risk of PE associated with H. pylori infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Helicobacter pylori seropositivity frequency was higher in mothers with PE (51.1%) compared to women with uneventful pregnancy (31.9%) (OR, 2.668; 95% CI, 1.084-6.566; P = 0.033). The difference was even greater for CagA seropositivity (80.9 and 14.9%, respectively) (OR, 26.035; 95% CI, 8.193-82.729; P < 0.001). All placentas were negative for H. pylori DNA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Helicobacter pylori, and especially strains carrying the CagA gene, may contribute to the inflammatory mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponzetto
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cardaropoli
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piccoli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolfo
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gennero
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kanduc
authors.forename: Tullia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Todros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000276:immunology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial