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Published on: June 18, 2016

Organ-specific autoantibodies in children with Helicobacter pylori infection

Graziella Guariso1, Francesca Brotto, Daniela Basso

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Italy. guariso@pediatria.unipd.it

Helicobacter
|December 22, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children with Helicobacter pylori infection show higher rates of organ-specific autoantibodies, particularly gastric autoantibodies. This finding suggests a potential link between H. pylori and the development of autoimmune conditions in childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is common in children.
  • The association between H. pylori and autoimmune conditions is not fully understood.
  • Organ-specific autoantibodies may indicate an increased risk for autoimmune diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies in H. pylori-infected children versus H. pylori-negative children.
  • To investigate the relationship between autoantibodies and target organ status in children.
  • To explore the potential role of H. pylori infection in triggering autoimmune responses.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 124 children with dyspepsia was studied, divided into H. pylori-positive (56) and H. pylori-negative (68) groups.
  • Sera were tested for various organ-specific autoantibodies, including parietal cell autoantibodies (PCA) and intrinsic factor autoantibodies (IFA).
  • Gastric autoantibodies, H. pylori status, and histological features were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Organ-specific autoantibodies were significantly more frequent in H. pylori-infected children (p < .0001).
  • Gastric autoantibodies, specifically PCA and IFA, were notably higher in the H. pylori-positive group (p = .0004).
  • The presence of autoantibodies was not linked to clinical or biohumoral signs of disease.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood H. pylori infection is associated with an increased prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies.
  • These autoantibodies appear in the absence of overt clinical or biohumoral disease markers.
  • H. pylori infection in childhood may be a trigger for autoimmune gastritis and other autoimmune diseases.
Abstract

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