Background. Before the introduction of modern medication for ulcer disease.
gastroduodenal complications were often fatal in recipients of kidney tran
splants. Helicobacter pylori causes gastritis and is an important risk fact
or for peptic ulcer disease and gastric malignancies, The aim of this study
was to evaluate whether H. pylori infection influences the outcomes of kid
ney transplantation.
Methods. Between 1991 and 1994, serum H. pylori antibodies were determined
in samples taken just before transplantation from 500 consecutive recipient
s of kidney transplants. Clinical data were collected retrospectively by me
ans of questionnaires sent to the patients and from the national kidney tra
nsplantation registry.
Results. The prevalence of seropositivity of H. pylori was 31%, in the 500
renal transplant subjects, and the seropositivity increased with age. There
were no differences in patient or graft survival between the seronegative
and seropositive patients. During the first 3 months after transplantation,
five seronegative and one seropositive patient had gastroduodenal ulcers.
with bleeding complications in three of the seronegative ones. After 3 mont
hs, there were more ulcers in the seropositive group (6 vs 3%) and more oes
ophagitis in the seronegative group (9 vs 7%). During the 6-year follow-up,
two cases of gastroduodenal malignancies were found in the helicobacter-po
sitive group and none in the seronegative group.
Conclusions. Helicobacter pylori infections did not result in significant p
ostoperative gastric complications. Two of the 155 seropositive patients de
veloped gastroduodenal malignancies.