Preferential placental transfer of Helicobacter pylori specific IgG

To evaluate the placental transfer of Helicobacter pylori-specific IgG in Iranian mothers.

The antibodies were measured in sera of 156 mother/newborn pairs using a commercially available indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The study population was among healthy pregnant women who attended to the Zeinabieh hospital of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 1999.

In total 74.7% of mothers were seropositive and more than 82% of seropositive mothers transferred Helicobacter pylori-specific IgG antibodies to their fetuses. The mean maternal Helicobacter pylori-specific IgG was significantly higher than that of the newborns (104.01 vs. 68.30 IU/ml, p < 0.001), however, there was a good correlation between maternal and neonatal antibodies. The level of maternal Helicobacter pylori-specific IgG was significantly lower in carriers of blood group B + compared to carriers of blood groups A + and O + . However, the cord/maternal ratio of Helicobacter pylori-specific IgG was significantly higher in blood group B + phenotype compared to blood group phenotypes A + and O + .

The high rate of seropositivity among mothers highlights the risk of acquisition of Helicobacter pylori infection in early infancy for Iranian children. Our results also suggest that mothers having blood group B + are more likely to transfer Helicobacter pylori-specific IgG to their neonates.