title: Helicobacter pylori infection is not correlated with subclinical thrombocytopenia: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: In a small percentage of patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), H. pylori eradication has a positive effect on platelet counts. Whether H. pylori infection is associated with a lower thrombocyte count in persons without clinical ITP is unknown. We performed a cross-sectional study to compare thrombocyte count between H. pylori infected (n=108) and H. pylori non-infected patients (n=600) who underwent a diagnostic gastroscopy. The mean thrombocyte count in H. pylori negative patients was 257 × 10(9)/l, in H. pylori positive patients 252 × 10(9)/l (mean difference 5 × 10(9)/l, 95% CI: -23 to 14). Subgroup analysis did not show significant differences either. In the patient group without apparent comorbidity, there were no subjects with thrombocyte counts <120. In 36 H. pylori positive patients in whom data post-eradication was available, platelet counts pre- and post-eradication were similar. In conclusion, this study could not demonstrate a lower thrombocyte count in H. pylori infected patients or in subgroups of H. pylori infected patients compared to non-infected subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Internal Medicine, Haga Teaching Hospital , The Hague , The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Annette D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Samson
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Schipperus
authors.forename: Alexandra M J
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Langers
authors.forename: Olaf M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Dekkers
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000379:methods; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000382:microbiology*