Helicobacter pylori antibodies in hemodialysis patients and renal transplant recipients

In this cross-sectional, controlled study, Helicobacter pylori ( H . pylori ) infection, a probable factor in the development of gastrointestinal problems, was investigated in dialysis patients and renal transplant recipients. Forty-seven dialysis patients (22 male, 25 female, mean age of 36.6±15 yr (range 18–83 yr)), 57 renal transplant recipients (39 male, 18 female, mean age of 36.8±10 yr (range 19–60 yr)) and 55 healthy individuals (34 male, 21 female, mean age of 33.4±9.6 yr (range 21–58 yr)) were included and no significant difference was found in the study groups. The mean time spent on dialysis in the hemodialysis group was 32.5±27.7 months (range 1–100 months). H . pylori antibodies were detected in 22 of 57 (38.6%) patients in the transplantation group, 31 of 47 (65.9%) patients in the dialysis group and 39 of 55 (72.5%) in the control group. No correlation was found between H . pylori infection and age, sex, primary disease, frequency of dialysis, duration and type of transplantation and the immunosuppressive therapy. However, patients with H . pylori antibodies spent a shorter time on dialysis compared to patients without the antibodies (26.6±23.5 vs 44.1±32.1 months, p=0.038). The frequency of H . pylori infection in the transplantation group was significantly lower than the control and dialysis groups (p<0.01). This finding may be explained on the basis of decreased humoral antibody response to H . pylori infection, secondary to immunosuppressive therapy rather than decreased incidence of infection in the transplantation group. Finally, we concluded that the value of the serological test for diagnosis of H . pylori infection should be interpreted cautiously in these patient groups.