Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Malaysian children: Evidence for ethnic differences in childhood

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylor (H. pylori) i n healthy Malaysian children and to discover whether differences exist amon g children of different races. Methods: Serum samples from asymptomatic children tested for H. pylori sero positivity using an ELISA test. Results: Five hundred and fourteen healthy urban Malaysian children aged 0. 5 to 17 (mean 5.9) years from three different racial groups had their blood tested for H. pylori antibodies. The overall prevalence was 10.3%. There w as no significant difference in the prevalence of infection between boys an d girls, but a significant rise was noted with increasing age (P = 0.009). Seropositivity was most common in the Indians and lowest in the Malays (P = 0.001). Father's level of education did not affect the child's rate of H, pylori se ropositivity. Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity among asymptomatic urban Malaysian children is lowest in Malays, intermediate in Chinese and highest in Indians. The racial differences found in children ar e consistent with those found in Malaysian adults.