A novel association between cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) positive strain of Helicobacter pylori and unexplained recurrent early pregnancy loss.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether or not there is an association between the cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA)-positive strain of Helicobacter (H.) pylori and unexplained recurrent early pregnancy loss (REPL).


METHODS
A case control study was conducted in a tertiary care maternity centre during a one-year period. Ninety-six women with first trimester unexplained REPL admitted for surgical or medical termination of pregnancy were included in the study group (group 1), along with 96 women who suffered a first trimester missed abortion but had no history of REPL and who were included in the control group (group 2). Sera from all these women were collected for detection of the CagA line of IgG type of H. pylori using an immunoblotting assay. The main outcome measure was the association between the CagA-positive strain of H. pylori and unexplained REPL.


RESULTS
A significantly greater proportion of women were seropositive for the CagA- H. pylori strain in group 1 than in group 2 (71 [74%] vs. 51 [53%], respectively; p = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
The CagA-positive strain of H. pylori seems to be significantly more prevalent among women with unexplained REPL when compared to women with a single missed abortion.
* Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine , Cairo , Egypt.
Moustafa
M
Ibrahim
Tarek
T
Rafaat
Amal
A
Abbas
Hala
H
Masoud
Ahmed
A
Salama
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori