Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah
04:43

COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah

Published on: June 24, 2025

Antibody levels to persistent pathogens and incident stroke in Mexican Americans

Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson1, Brenda W Gillespie, Allison E Aiello

  • 1Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America. ssealyj@med.wayne.edu

Plos One
|June 27, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is linked to increased stroke risk in Mexican Americans. This finding may explain higher stroke rates in this ethnic group due to H. pylori prevalence.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Disease
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Persistent pathogens are potential stroke risk factors, but evidence is inconclusive.
  • Mexican Americans face higher stroke risk, particularly at younger ages, and have increased prevalence of certain persistent infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between persistent pathogens and stroke risk in Mexican Americans.
  • To determine if specific pathogen exposures, including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), predict incident stroke.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized discrete-time regression analysis on data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (n=1621).
  • Examined immunoglobulin G antibody levels to H. pylori, Cytomegalovirus, Varicella Zoster Virus, Toxoplasma gondii, and Herpes simplex virus 1.
  • Assessed pathogen burden based on summed sero-positivity, number of high antibody-level pathogens, and average antibody level, adjusting for socio-demographics and stroke risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Elevated antibody levels to H. pylori were significantly associated with increased incident stroke risk (OR: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.28).
  • No significant associations were found between stroke risk and antibody levels to Cytomegalovirus, Varicella Zoster Virus, Toxoplasma gondii, or Herpes simplex virus 1.
  • Pathogen burden, by any measure, did not show a significant association with incident stroke risk.

Conclusions:

  • Exposure to H. pylori may represent a stroke risk factor in the Mexican American population.
  • This association could contribute to observed ethnic disparities in stroke risk.
  • Further research is necessary to validate the link between H. pylori and stroke.

More Related Videos

Hippocampal Neuronal Cultures to Detect and Study New Pathogenic Antibodies Involved in Autoimmune Encephalitis08:20

Hippocampal Neuronal Cultures to Detect and Study New Pathogenic Antibodies Involved in Autoimmune Encephalitis

Published on: June 2, 2022

Simultaneous Detection of Different Antibody Classes in a Multiplexed Serological Test05:25

Simultaneous Detection of Different Antibody Classes in a Multiplexed Serological Test

Published on: July 14, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests01:27

Atherosclerosis II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Tests

Atherosclerosis is a progressive disorder that leads to the thickening and narrowing of arterial walls due to plaque buildup. This condition can cause various symptoms depending on the arteries affected:Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): This condition affects the coronary arteries and may lead to chest pain (angina), shortness of breath (dyspnea), heart attacks, and other heart disease symptoms.Cerebrovascular Disease: This affects blood flow to the brain, causing transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)...
Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies01:30

Hypertension III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies

Hypertension is asymptomatic and also referred to as the "silent killer" until it progresses to a severe stage or causes target organ disease. Patients may experience symptoms stemming from the strain on blood vessels and tissues in various organs or the heart's increased workload.Physical exams might show no abnormalities other than high blood pressure. Signs of vascular damage, when present, correspond to the organs supplied by the affected vessels, leading to target organ damage. For...