Effect of antimicrobial therapy on the specific serological response to Helicobacter pylori infection

The systemic immune response to Helicobacter pylori was studied in 247 infected adult patients before antimicrobial therapy and at different intervals following therapy. Endoscopy with simultaneous collection of biopsies was performed in all patients immediately before treatment, 4 to 6 weeks after the end of therapy and 6 to 12 months later. A 14C-urea breath test was performed 3 to 6 months after the end of treatment. Biopsy specimens were cultured and examined histologically using Giemsa stain. Sera were tested for Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies with a commercial enzyme immunoassay using species-specific antigens. Overall, Helicobacter pylori was eradicated in 120 patients while the other 127 remained infected with the organism. The follow-up period ranged from 4 weeks to 33 months (mean 10.2 months). Pretreatment IgG levels did not differ significantly between the two groups of patients. Six weeks after the end of treatment a slight but definite decrease in the IgG antibody levels was seen irrespective of treatment success. In the 127 patients who remained Helicobacter pylori-positive, the level of IgG antibodies remained stable or increased with time. A continuous fall in antibody levels was observed following bacterial eradication in the other 120 patients, but the difference in antibody levels between treatment responders and nonresponders became significant only more than six months after the end of treatment (p = 0.001). Serological testing may be useful for monitoring the outcome of long-term treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection and obviate the need for endoscopy.