Detection of Helicobacter pylori in oral aphthous ulcers

A causative role for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the pathogenesis of oral mucosal ulcerations has been suggested previously. We have adopted the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a rapid and sensitive means to detect H. pylori in swabs of recurrent oral aphthous ulcers and in samples of other oral sites. Of the oral aphthous ulcer samples, 32 (71.8%) were found to be positive, while the saliva and plaque samples (most of them taken from the patients with aphthous ulcers) were consistently negative for H. pylori DNA, as detected by the PCR assay. Only two of the swab samples from the tongue (collected at the time of concurrent, H. pylori-positive oral aphthous ulcers) were found to be positive. The data suggest that H. pylori may be associated frequently with recurrent oral aphthous ulcers, and are consistent with previous studies indicating that saliva and plaque are not likely sources of contamination with this microorganism. There was no apparent correlation with HIV status (infection with human immunodeficiency virus). The possible pathogenic significance of Helicobacter pylori in oral ulcerations is discussed.