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Downward shift in serum IgM with Helicobacter pylori seropositivity
R J Dobbs1, S M Dobbs, A Charlett
1Therapeutics in the Elderly, Research Group, Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospitals, Harrow, HA1 3UJ, UK.
Objective:
To determine whether Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with premature immune ageing, with respect to circulating immunoglobulins.
Methods:
Serum immunoglobulin classes and H. pylori anti-urease antibody were measured in 205 subjects (aged 30-89 years), obeying inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Results:
IgM decreased (P<0.001) by 0.9 (95% C.I. 0.3, 1.4)% per year, H. pylori seropositivity having an effect equivalent to 25 years of ageing (P<0.02). IgA increased by 0.5 (0.1, 0.8)% per year (P<0.007), IgG being unaffected by age. Seropositivity had no effect on IgA or IgG.
Conclusions:
Increasing age and H. pylori seropositivity are each associated with a downward shift in circulating IgM. If clinical extrapolation is justified, H. pylori eradication may be important in combating susceptibility to infection in old age.