Antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in gastroenterology personnel, patients and the healthy population
Royo, G.; Férez, A.; Esteban, A.; Martín, C.; Pérez-Mateo, M.
Revista Espanola de Enfermedades Digestivas Organo Oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Patologia Digestiva 80(4): 233-236
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 1130-0108 PMID: 1805887 Document Number: 384951
We have studied the prevalence of IgG antibodies to H. pylori in gastroenterology personnel, patients and healthy blood donors to determinate if there is a presumable high risk of infection among the first group, frequently at risk of exposure to gastrointestinal secretions. The positive percentage of sera in the gastroenterology personnel was 30.4% and in the healthy control group (mean age 35.8 years) was 38.5% (p = 0.620). In the patient group, the rate of positive results was 90% and in their control group (mean age 58 years) was 78.1% (p = 0.269). However, the differences were statistically significant when groups of different ages were compared (p less than 0.001). The results obtained suggest that the variations in the antibodies levels are age related and do not confirm the presumably increased risk among the gastroenterology personnel.