title: The presence of Helicobacter pylori in cervical preinvasive lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is believed to play a role in several gynecological and obstetric pathologies since the cervical mucosa resembles the gastric environment. The microorganism is expected to infect the upper genital tract via the oral-genital and fecal-genital routes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 35 cases with benign, ASCUS, ASC-H, LSIL and HSIL pap-smear results. The presence of H. pylori in the uterine cervix and active infection were investigated with the H. pylori stool antigen test. Biopsy specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Warthin-Starry stains to find H. pylori in cervical tissue. Seroprevalence was investigated by using ELISA for H. pylori IgG and IgA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The H. pylori seroprevalence was 65.7%; further, 17.1% of the cases had an active infection. H. pylori was not found in the cervix or the cervicovaginal secretions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cervix is not a reservoir for H. pylori, and the microorganism does not appear to be transmitted through the fecal-genital route.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uludag University Medical Faculty, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ozakin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D012698:Serologic Tests; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000382:microbiology*