SEROPREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN RESIDENTS OF A HOSPITAL FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE LEARNING-DIFFICULTIES

Objective: To assess the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori among t he residents of a hospital for people with severe learning difficultie s. Design: Retrospective analysis of stored sera from the hospital res idents and control sera from the local, non-residential population. Me thods: H. pylori immunoglobulin G antibody was measured in 424 hospita l residents using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, taking an anti body level of >10 units/ml as evidence of H. pylori infection. The res ults were compared with 267 age- and sex-matched controls. Results: Se ropositivity rates were significantly higher in the hospital residents than in controls for all ages. This was most marked among those under 40 years of age (87 versus 24% H. pylori-positive for residents and c ontrols, respectively; P<0.001). The overall seropositivity rates were 87 and 43% for residents and controls, respectively (P<0.001). Conclu sions: This English study of H. pylori seroprevalence in an institutio nalized population is the largest to date and confirms the very high s eropositivity rates found by previous studies in Australia. Our findin gs may have significance for the future health of these patients and f or the possible modes of transmission of H. pylori.