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Helicobacter pylori density and cagA status in cirrhotic patients: A case–control study
Author(s) -
ZULLO ANGELO,
SANCHEZMETE LUPE,
HASSAN CESARE,
DIANA FABIO,
FESTUCCIA FEDERICA,
ATTILI ADOLFO FRANCESCO,
MORINI SERGIO
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2004.03440.x
Subject(s) - medicine , caga , helicobacter pylori , gastroenterology , serology , spirillaceae , peptic , urea breath test , breath test , peptic ulcer , gastritis , helicobacter pylori infection , immunology , antibody , virulence , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
Background and Aim: Despite a similar Helicobacter pylori prevalence, peptic ulcer is more frequent in cirrhotic patients than in controls. We evaluated whether cirrhotic patients had an increased bacterial density and/or a higher prevalence of H. pylori cagA‐positive strains than controls. Methods: A total of 36 dyspeptic cirrhotic patients with H. pylori infection and 72 matched controls were enrolled . H. pylori infection was detected at histology on Giemsa staining, bacterial density was assessed using difference over baseline (DOB) values at 13 C urea breath test, and cagA status was established at serology. Results: Overall, both DOB values and prevalence of cagA did not significantly differ between cirrhotic patients and controls. However, peptic ulcer controls showed significantly higher DOB value (27.9 ± 17.4 vs 19.4 ± 9.3, respectively; P = 0.009) and cagA positive rate (85% vs 48%; P = 0.01) than non‐ulcer dyspepsia patients. Although not statistically significant, a similar trend was observed in cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer for DOB values (26.5 ± 16.3 vs 18.3/1000 ± 9.2, respectively; P = 0.07), whereas the cagA‐positive rate was similar between peptic ulcer and non‐ulcer dyspepsia patients (60% vs 50%; P = 0.30). Conclusions: The present data showed that both bacterial density and cagA prevalence did not differ between cirrhotic patients and controls.