Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in pediatric celiac disease

OBJECTIVE: A lower risk of celiac disease (CD) in patients with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection has been reported when Hp infection prevalence in CD patients was compared against CD-negative symptomatic persons with indications for diagnostic gastroduodenoscopy. Therefore, we aimed to determine Hp infection frequency in a group of pediatric CD patients at diagnosis and to compare obtained results to data coming from age-matched healthy population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 74 CD subjects aged 3 to 12 years in whom the presence of Hp was diagnosed routinely in the course of differential diagnosis with the use of stable isotope breath test which is the gold standard. The control group consisted of 296 healthy age-matched subjects. RESULTS: Hp infection was diagnosed in 4 CD patients and 20 healthy subjects. Its prevalence in CD patients and HS did not differ neither in the entire age group undergoing comparison (5.4% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.5713) nor in the selected age subgroups (3-6 years: 2.5% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.8551; 7-12 years: 8.8% vs. 11.0%, p = 0.8742). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Hp infection in CD patients does not seem to be different than that in general population. However, further studies are needed to assess the potential role of Hp in the pathogenesis of CD.