Epidemiology And Immunologic Response In Children With Helicobacter Pylori Infection At Luocheng County Of Guangxi Province

Epidemiology and immunologic response in children with Helicobacter pylori infection at Luocheng County of Guangxi ProvinceOBJETIVES To investigate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection, the relevant factors for infection and the strains of H.pylori in children at Luocheng County of Guangxi Province, and study the immunologic response in infected children with H.pylori. METHODS The H.pylori infection status were determined by a combination of ELISA and Western blot (immunoblot) technique in 278 children and T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometrical analysis (FCM) in 98 children .The parents of studied children were also interviewed about putative relevant factors for infection by a structured questionnaire. RESULTS The total seropositive rate of H.pylori infection was 64.4%(179/278). The seropositive rate of H.pylori infection among children based on Han, Zhuang, Mulao nationality and others were 78.3%(29/37), 64.9%(37/57), 57.3%(43/75), 64.2%(70/109), respectively, and there was no significant difference in all four groups of nationality in seropositive rate. Univariate analysis showed the seroprevalence of H.pylori infection remained significantly increase with increased age, lower years of father's education, big family, absence of public lavatory service, dog-keeping, and decrease with eating meat usually. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that age and dog-keeping were relevant factors for H.pylori infection . There was no significant difference of H.pylori strains in different nationalities. Comparing the proportion of peripheral blood T lymphocytic subsets in children with H.pylori infection andwithout H.pylori infection, it was found that a higher proportion of CD4 T-cells in infected children and higher value of CD4 to CD8 T-cells ratio were present, but there were not significant difference in CD3 T-cells and CD8 T-cells. CONCLUSIONS The seropositive rate of H.pylori infection and H.pylori strains were not associated with nationality of children at Luocheng County. Age , years of father's education, number of member in family, public lavatory service, dog-keeping and eating meat might have played some role in infection with H.pylori in children. Th1 response of cellular immunity may be induced by H. pylori infection in children.