title: Does maternal Helicobacter pylori infection increase the risk of occurrence of neural tube defects in newborns in Northern Iran?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relation between maternal Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  This hospital-based case-control study was carried out in Dezyani Teaching Hospital, Gorgan, Northern Iran from April 2007 to March 2009. Thirty-five mothers with NTD-affected newborns, and 53 mothers with healthy newborns were considered the cases and controls. A peripheral blood sample was obtained from all subjects, and H. pylori infections were tested by H. pylori serum antibody. The serum folic acid, vitamin B12, ferritin, and homocysteine concentrations were measured by laboratory tests. Data were analyzed using odds ratio (OR) and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three percent of cases, and 26% of controls were positive for H. pylori IgG antibody, and this difference was not significant. The H. pylori seropositivity non significantly increased the risk of NTD-affected pregnancies (OR: 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84-5.17, p=0.11). Serum vitamin B12 deficiency was detected in 17% of cases and 13% of controls, and folic acid deficiency in 17% of cases and 13% of controls (p=0.61). The H. pylori seropositivity was non significantly associated with low serum folate (OR 1.93 CI: 0.58-6.4, p=0.34) and ferritin (OR 1.24; CI: 0.42-3.60, p=0.68).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal H. pylori infection can increase the risk of occurrence of NTDs in newborns.
authors: Gorgan Congenital Malformations Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran. mjgolalipour@yahoo.com
authors: Mohammad J
authors: MJ
authors: Golalipour
authors: Maliheh
authors: M
authors: Sedehi
authors: Mostafa
authors: M
authors: Qorbani
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006711:Homocystine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D006711:Homocystine; D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12