SEROPREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN GERMAN INFANTS AND CHILDREN

Background. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the serological p revalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection during infancy and childhood in Germany. Patients and Methods. We quantified specific IgG antibody titers against H. pylori by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique (BIO-RAD G.A.P. IgG-test) from healthy childre n under 18 years (n = 216) admitted to hospital for minor surgical pro cedures. All patients were age 0-18 years and lived in the southern pa rt of Germany (Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg). For each age group, 12 different sera were obtained and were determined in duplicate. We ana lyzed the 216 sera within 6 age groups of equal size. Mean titers >19 U/ml were considered positive for H. pylori infection. Results. None o f the sera of 48 children less than 4 years old were positive for anti -H. pylori specific IgG antibodies. Titers above 19 U/ml were found in 8.3% (3/36 sera each, CI 95% 1-21.7%) in the children age three to fi ve and nine to 11 years. Six-to eight-year-old children showed a 19.4% seroprevalence (7/36 sera, CI 95% 8.2-48%) and children 12-14 years o ld showed a seropositivity of 16.7% (6/36 sera, CI 95% 6.6-46.1%). In contrast, 47.2% (17/36 sera, CI 26.5-70.3%) of the adolescents older t han 14 pears had positive H. pylori antibody titers (p < .01, compared to the age-group 12-14 years). The test for linear trend (seropositiv ity and age) was significant with p < .001. The overall incidence incr ease with age in prevalence of H. pylori infection was found to be 0.9 % per year within this population. Conclusions. In contrast to publish ed data from other European and non-European countries, we could nor d etect H. pylori infection in German infants less than four years old b y measurement of IgG antibodies. In the older subjects, seropositivity increased significantly and linearly with age.