title: Increased cerebrospinal fluid Helicobacter pylori antibody in Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection may play a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A prospective, nonrandomized, comparative study was car- ried out to examine the levels of anti-H. pylori-specific IgG antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of AD patients, compared with those of age-matched cognitively normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSF was aspirated from 27 AD patients and 27 age-matched cognitively normal patients with prostate hyperplasia or long-bone fractures necessitating surgery after epidural anesthesia. Serum samples were obtained from AD patients and the day before surgery from controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSF and serum anti-H. pylori IgG concentrations were measured by means of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean concentration of anti-H. pylori-specific IgG was significantly greater in (a) the CSF of AD patients (10.53 +/- 12.54 U/mL) than in controls (8.63 +/- 8.01 U/mL, p = 0.047), and (b) the serum of AD patients (30.44 +/- 33.94 U/mL) than in controls (16.24 +/- 5.77 U/mL, p = 0.041). CSF anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies correlated with the degree of severity of the disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H. pylori-specific IgG antibody levels are significantly increased in CSF and serum of AD; its titer in CSF might reflect the AD severity, thereby supporting a role for this common infection in the pathobiology of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Second Medical Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Ippokration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. jannis@med.auth.gr
authors.forename: Jannis
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kountouras
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boziki
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gavalas
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zavos
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deretzi
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grigoriadis
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsolaki
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatzopoulos
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Katsinelos
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tzilves
authors.forename: Athina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zabouri
authors.forename: Ifigenia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Michailidou