EVIDENCE AGAINST AN INCREASED RISK OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN DENTISTS - A SEROLOGICAL AND SALIVARY STUDY

Background: An oral-to-oral route of transmission of Helicobacter pylo ri infection has been postulated, which is supported by the observatio n that H. pylori is present in the saliva and in dental plaque. On the basis of this assumption, an increased risk of H. pylori infection am ong dentists was postulated. Method: Serum and salivary H. pylori immu noglobulin (Ig)G antibodies were measured in a group of practising den tists. For comparison we also studied a group of controls from the sam e urban area matched for age, sex, smoking habits, alcohol and non-ste roidal anti-inflammatory drug consumption, and history of dyspepsia. R esults: There was no significant difference in serum H. pylori IgG ant ibodies titres between dentists and controls [optical density (OD) 0.9 91 +/- 0.588 versus 1.025 +/- 0.591, respectively]. Salivary H. pylori IgG were 0.693 +/- 0.726 and 0.661 +/- 0.614 OD in the dentists and c ontrol groups, respectively. The frequency of H. pylori-seropositive s ubjects did not differ between the two groups [22 out of 39 (56%) vers us 46 out of 71 (64%)]. A positive saliva assay was found in 23 out of 39 (59%) dentists and in 44 out of 71 (62%) controls. The odds ratio for a dentist being H. pylori-positive was 0.7 (95% confidence interva l 0.3-1.7) by serology and 0.9 (95% confidence interval 0.4-2.1) by sa livary antibody assay. Conclusion: The data of this study do not suppo rt the concept that dentists are a high-risk group for H. pylori infec tion.