HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN THE MOUTH - NEGATIVE ISOLATION FROM DENTAL PLAQUE AND SALIVA

Objective: To determine the colonization of Helicobacter pylori in den tal plaque and saliva of individuals with H. pylori-associated gastrit is. Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty adult dyspeptic patie nts attending for outpatient endoscopy were randomly selected. Saliva, dental plaques and antral biopsies were collected and cultured in Den t's medium. Antral biopsies were also taken for histological confirmat ion of colonization. Results: Eleven patients were withdrawn owing to poor tolerance of endoscopy. Fifty-two patients (47%) were found to be H. pylori positive on culture from antral biopsies and on antral hist ology. H. pylori was not isolated from saliva and dental plaques in an y of the patients irrespective of their infective status. The H. pylor i seropositivity rate was higher in the Japanese (72%) than in the Dut ch (33%). Conclusion: We failed to isolate H. pylori from saliva and d ental plaque in a group of dyspeptic patients with H. pylori-associate d gastritis. We believe that our finding strongly suggests that oral t o oral route is not an important mode of transmission in the adult pop ulation.