Helicobacter pylori antibodies in hemodialysis patients and renal transplant recipients

In this cross-sectional, controlled study, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, a probable factor in the development of gastrointestinal problem s, was investigated in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients. F orty-seven dialysis patients (22 male, 25 female, mean age of 36.6 +/- 15 y r (range 18-83 yr)), 57 renal transplant recipients (39 male, 18 female, me an age of 36.8 +/- 10 yr (range 19-60 yr)) and 55 healthy individuals (34 m ale, 21 female, mean age of 33.4 +/- 9.6 yr (range 21-58 yr)) were included and no significant difference was found in the study groups. The mean time spent on dialysis in the hemodialysis group was 32.5 +/- 27.7 months (rang e 1-100 months). H. pylori antibodies were detected in 22 of 57 (38.6%) pat ients in the transplantation group, 31 of 47 (65.9%) patients in the dialys is group and 39 of 55 (72.5%) in the control group. No correlation was foun d between H. pylori infection and age, sex, primary disease, frequency of d ialysis, duration and type of transplantation and the immunosuppressive the rapy. However, patients with H. pylori antibodies spent a shorter time on d ialysis compared to patients without the antibodies (26.6 +/- 23.5 vs 44.1 +/- 32.1 months, p = 0.038). The frequency of H. pylori infection in the tr ansplantation group was significantly lower than the control and dialysis g roups (p < 0.01). This finding may be explained on the basis of decreased h umoral antibody response to H. pylori infection, secondary to immunosuppres sive therapy rather than decreased incidence of infection in the transplant ation group. Finally, we concluded that the value of the serological test f or diagnosis of H. pylori infection should be interpreted cautiously in the se patient groups.