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The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori serum antibodies in children with recurrent abdominal pain

  • Gastroenterology
  • Original Papers
  • Published:
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Abstract

As part of a large, prospective study we investigated the prevalenceHelicobacter pylori serum antibodies in children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). All patients suffered from recurrent bouts of abdominal pain for at least 6 months and ranged in age from 6 to 12 years.H. pylori antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The prevalence ofH. pylori antibodies in the RAP group was compared to that of a control group which consisted predominantly of pre-operative children. None of the control group suffered or had suffered from RAP. Antibodies toH. pylori were found in 7 of 82 (8.5%) RAP patients and in 2 of 39 (5.1%) control children. The latter difference is not significant and suggests that RAP is only rarely caused in children byH. pylori infection.

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Abbreviations

OD:

optical density unit

RAP:

recurrent abdominal pain

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Paediatrics, Academic Hospital Maastricht, University of Limburg, P.O. Box 5800, NL-6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    S. B. van der Meer, P. P. Forget & R. H. Kuijten

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Hospital Maastricht, University of Limburg, P.O. Box 5800, NL-6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    R. J. L. F. Loffeld

  3. Department of Microbiology, Academic Hospital Maastricht, University of Limburg, P.O. Box 5800, NL-6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    E. Stobberingh

  4. Department of Pathology, Academic Hospital Maastricht, University of Limburg, P.O. Box 5800, NL-6202 AZ, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    J. W. Arends

Authors
  1. S. B. van der Meer
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  2. P. P. Forget
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  3. R. J. L. F. Loffeld
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  4. E. Stobberingh
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  5. R. H. Kuijten
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  6. J. W. Arends
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van der Meer, S.B., Forget, P.P., Loffeld, R.J.L.F. et al. The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori serum antibodies in children with recurrent abdominal pain. Eur J Pediatr 151, 799–801 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01957927

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01957927

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