MICROBIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI FROM DENTAL PLAQUE INDYSPEPTIC PATIENTS

To evaluate the possible route of transmission of Helicobacter pylori, stomach biopsies and dental plaques were cultured from patients with dyspeptic symptoms who underwent endoscopy. A total of 31 patients wer e examined. Twenty patients out of thirty one (64%) were H. pylori pos itive in gastric biopsy. Among the microorganisms isolated in dental p laque only one sample (corresponding to a patients with duodenal ulcer H pylori positive) showed colonies morphologically and biochemically compatible with H. pylori. Proteic patterns of whole cells and restric tion endonuclease analysis with Hind III and Hae III endonucleases of DNA extracted from the strain subcultured from a stomach biopsy and fr om dental plaque of the same patient indicated that both sites were in fected with the same strain of H. pylori.