Helicobacter pylori-specific immune responses of children: implications for future vaccination strategy.

We analyzed the specific anti-Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody profile for a sample of 824 asymptomatic schoolchildren in southern Germany (mean age, 10.7 +/- 0.65 years) with an H. pylori-specific IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis. The prevalence of infection was 19.8% (95% confidence interval, 17.1 to 22.7%). The immunoresponses were characterized predominantly by antibodies against low-molecular-mass antigens of 14 and 29 kDa, with a significant difference between children of German and Turkish nationalities (P = 0.0012 and P < 0.0001, respectively).