title: Helicobacter pylori in the palatine tonsils of patients with IgA nephropathy compared with those of patients with recurrent pharyngotonsillitis.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori infection is acquired by oral ingestion. However, the morphology and microscopic localization of H pylori in the human oral cavity and pharynx are unknown. In the present study, we performed immunohistochemistry, immunoelectron microscopy, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction to identify H pylori in the palatine tonsils of 32 patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and 141 patients with recurrent pharyngotonsillitis (RPT). H pylori in coccoid form was present in bacterial colonies and horny layers of the stratified squamous epithelium in tonsillar crypts. We described for the first time the morphology of H pylori in palatine tonsils. Most bacterial colonies were sulfur granules with Actinomyces israelii (A israelii), and A israelii showed significant coexistence with H pylori (P=.011). The prevalence of H pylori in palatine tonsils of the RPT group increased steeply with age, but one fourth of the patients were found not to have tonsillar H pylori in adulthood. All patients with IgAN had H pylori in palatine tonsils. The prevalence of H pylori was greater in the IgAN group than in the RPT group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<.001). In contrast, A israelii was unrelated to age and clinical diagnosis (P=.722). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that H pylori in coccoid form is present in palatine tonsils and may indicate that H pylori in palatine tonsils is among the antigens causative of IgAN.
authors: Department of Pathology and Biodefense, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-8501, Japan. 04621004@edu.cc.saga-u.ac.jp
authors: Kenichiro
authors: K
authors: Kusano
authors: Osamu
authors: O
authors: Tokunaga
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Ando
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Inokuchi
mesh_terms: D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology*; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology