Pre-eclampsia is associated with Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in Italy.
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.
Ponzetto
Antonio
A
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bari, Italy.
Cardaropoli
Simona
S
Piccoli
Ettore
E
Rolfo
Alessandro
A
Gennero
Luisa
L
Kanduc
Darja
D
Todros
Tullia
T
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
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial