HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN ESTONIAN POPULATION - IS IT A HEALTHPROBLEM

The role of Helicobacter pylori infection in traditionally noncommunic able diseases as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric carcinoma became more evident during the first decade of H. pylori studies. To analyse and evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Estonia as a population health problem, the data of three randomly selected sa mples of Estonian population aged over 15 years were used, The infecti on rate assessments in two representative samples of the population (K ambja 157 persons and Kuressaare 224 persons) were based on H. pylori colonization in the gastric mucosa, and in one sample (Karksi-Nuia 146 7 persons) on seroconversion of H, pylori IgG antibodies. The persons studied were divided into groups according to birth cohorts. The popul ation studies in Estonia showed a high prevalence of H. pylori infecti on among Estonians: 73% in the Kuressaare sample, 78% in the Kambja sa mple, and 87% in the Karksi-Nuia sample. From the Kuressaare populatio n sample 38 families with 290 persons were included in a family H. pyl ori infection study and 92.5% of the persons in these families were fo und to be H, pylori positive, H. pylori infection was frequent in pers ons who were born at the beginning of this century as well as in those born after World War It up to 30 years ago. It was concluded that H. pylori infection is common in Estonia, both in random persons and thei r families, It is probable that the infection rate of H. pylori depend s to a great extent on the socioeconomic conditions of this country an d that acquisition of H, pylori in Estonia starts at an early age.