HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION AND BLOOD-GROUP ANTIGENS - LACK OF CLINICAL-ASSOCIATION

Objectives: Blood group antigens traditionally have been associated wi th a risk of developing peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium associated with chronic active gastritis and ulc er disease, and its attachment to gastric mucosa was recently shown in vitro to be mediated by blood group Lewis(b) and H antigens. This stu dy was designed to test the clinical relevance of this laboratory obse rvation in patients undergoing endoscopy and gastric biopsy. Methods: Blood group phenotypes and gastric biopsies for H. pylori and histolog y were determined and correlated in 384 patients undergoing upper endo scopy. Blood from healthy blood donors was tested for the same blood g roup antigens and used as a control group. Results: The distribution o f blood groups ABO, Lewis, Rhesus, and MN was similar among the patien ts undergoing endoscopy and a control group of 2369 healthy blood dono rs from the same geographic area. There was no correlation between H. pylori infection or the H. pylori-associated diseases, peptic ulcer or chronic active gastritis, with any blood group phenotype, including L ewis(b), blood group O, or both. Conclusion: No in vivo correlation be tween H. pylori infection or disease and Lewis(b) or H antigen could b e demonstrated. Moreover, patients with H. pylori infection and diseas e have a distribution of blood group antigens similar to a control pop ulation.