Helicobacter pylori: Evidence for spouse-to-spouse transmission

Background: Spouse-to-spouse transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection still remains controversial. Methods: We studied the prevalence of H. pylori infection among spouses of H. pylori-positive or -negative individuals and looked for intraspousal tra nsmission. Twenty-five couples were studied. Initially, one individual per couple was selected as the index: subject. Spouses of these H. pylori-posit ive or -negative index individuals underwent screening for H. pylori by ser ology, the rapid urease test and histology. Those couples in whom only one spouse was positive were followed up and H. pylori status was re-evaluated using the above tests after approximately 1 year in the H. pylori-negative spouse. Results: Of 25 randomly selected index subjects, 18 were H. pylori positive and seven were negative. There was no significant difference in age, sex, socioeconomic status, presence of dyspeptic symptoms, duration of marriage and number of children in these index subjects. Spouses of H. pylori-infect ed index subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infect ion than the spouses of H. pylori-negative index subjects (83.3 vs 28.5%; P < 0.01). Age, sex, socioeconomic status, dyspeptic symptoms, duration of m arriage and number of children were not different in H. pylori-positive or -negative spouses of H. pylori-positive index subjects. There were five suc h couples in whom only one spouse was H. pylori positive initially. At foll ow up, three of these H. pylori-negative: spouses became positive. These fi ndings suggest person-to-person transmission or common source exposure with in couples. (C) 1999 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd.