Helicobacter pylori and autoimmune neutropenia

Recent studies have suggested a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with immune thrombocytopenia. Eradication therapy for H. pylori led to an increase in platelet count in a significant number of patients. No evidence of lymphoproliferative disorder has been reported in any of the patients in these studies. We describe a patient who presented initially with autoimmune neutropenia but was subsequently found to have a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. An impressive recovery of the neutrophil count was noted on H. pylori eradication therapy. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of autoimmune neutropenia associated with H. pylori-induced MALT lymphoma. The relationship between lymphoproliferative disorders and autoimmunity is discussed.