Helicobacter pylori colonization of tongue mucosa - increased incidence inatrophic glossitis and burning mouth syndrome (BMS)

Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori in tongue mucosa in 268 patients divided into four groups according to their diagnosis: 87 with atrophic glossitis, 37 with be nign migratory glossitis and 144 with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). The lat ter group was subdivided according to anatomic site of burning sensation: s ubgroup A (54 patients) with complaints limited to tongue and subgroup B (9 0 patients) with burning sensations in other parts of oral mucosa. H. pylor i was found in 43 samples (16%). Bacteria were significantly less present i n tongue mucosa affected with benign migratory glossitis compared with atro phic glossitis and BMS (P=0.025). This difference was more obvious when com pared with atrophic glossitis only (P=0.006). Mucosal changes in these cond itions might make the oral environment more acceptable for H. pylori coloni zation compared with normal mucosa, and this mechanism may play a role in i ts oro-oral transmission.