AIM: To examine childhood correlates of Helicobacter pylori infection in adults. DESIGN: Follow up study of men and women whose birth weight, weight at age 1 year, and feeding in infancy were recorded by health visitors. Data on childhood housing conditions were obtained by recall. SUBJECTS: 631 men and 389 women born in Hertfordshire during 1920-30 and still living in the east or northwest districts of the county. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum H pylori IgG antibodies measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Independent of their current social class, subjects were more likely to be H pylori seropositive if they had large numbers of siblings (p < 0.0001), and if they had lived in a crowded house (p = 0.001), or shared a bedroom or bed in childhood (p = 0.02). Low weight at 1 year was associated with increased seropositivity rates in men (p = 0.0002), but not women (p = 0.8). Men and women who were breast fed in infancy were less likely to be seropositive than those who were bottle fed (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the current view that H pylori infection is often acquired in childhood by close person to person contact, and persists into adult life. H pylori infection may be a cause of failure to thrive in infancy, especially in boys. Alternatively, small infants may be more susceptible to infection. Breast feeding may prevent early infection.
AIM: To examine childhood correlates of Helicobacter pylori infection in adults. DESIGN: Follow up study of men and women whose birth weight, weight at age 1 year, and feeding in infancy were recorded by health visitors. Data on childhood housing conditions were obtained by recall. SUBJECTS: 631 men and 389 women born in Hertfordshire during 1920-30 and still living in the east or northwest districts of the county. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum H pylori IgG antibodies measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Independent of their current social class, subjects were more likely to be H pylori seropositive if they had large numbers of siblings (p < 0.0001), and if they had lived in a crowded house (p = 0.001), or shared a bedroom or bed in childhood (p = 0.02). Low weight at 1 year was associated with increased seropositivity rates in men (p = 0.0002), but not women (p = 0.8). Men and women who were breast fed in infancy were less likely to be seropositive than those who were bottle fed (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the current view that H pylori infection is often acquired in childhood by close person to person contact, and persists into adult life. H pylori infection may be a cause of failure to thrive in infancy, especially in boys. Alternatively, small infants may be more susceptible to infection. Breast feeding may prevent early infection.
Authors: P B Sullivan; J E Thomas; D G Wight; G Neale; E J Eastham; T Corrah; N Lloyd-Evans; B M Greenwood Journal: Arch Dis Child Date: 1990-02 Impact factor: 3.791
Authors: R A Veenendaal; A S Peña; J L Meijer; H P Endtz; M M van der Est; W van Duijn; F Eulderink; J Kreuning; C B Lamers Journal: Gut Date: 1991-11 Impact factor: 23.059
Authors: C S Goodwin; E Blincow; G Peterson; C Sanderson; W Cheng; B Marshall; J R Warren; R McCulloch Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 1987-03 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: A S Peña; H P Endtz; G J Offerhaus; A Hoogenboom-Verdegaal; W van Duijn; N de Vargas; G den Hartog; J Kreuning; J van der Reyden; R P Mouton Journal: Digestion Date: 1989 Impact factor: 3.216
Authors: K Ogura; S Maeda; M Nakao; T Watanabe; M Tada; T Kyutoku; H Yoshida; Y Shiratori; M Omata Journal: J Exp Med Date: 2000-12-04 Impact factor: 14.307