INVERSE CORRELATION BETWEEN HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION AND INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Aims-To determine the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patient s with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and in controls without i nflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods-One hundred consecutive patie nts with Crohn's disease, 100 consecutive patients with ulcerative col itis, and 100 age and sex matched controls were studied. Serum H pylor i IgG and IgA antibody titres were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Res ults-The seroprevalence of H pylori was 15% in patients with IBD (13% in patients with Crohn's disease and 18% in patients with ulcerative c olitis), whereas the corresponding figure for the controls was 43%. Wh en compared with controls, the seroprevalence of H pylori in patients with IBD was considerably lower in all age groups tested. There was no important difference in treatment with sulphasalazine or in any other medical therapy administered to H pylori positive and negative patien ts. At the time of blood sampling there was no difference in the level of education or in the employment status between the patients and the controls. Conclusions-Patients with IBD were less likely to be infect ed with H pylori than their age and sex matched controls. Neither medi cal treatment nor socio-economic factors could explain the difference.