High risk of Helicobacter pylori infection associated with cow's milk antibodies in young diabetics

Abstract Antibody titres (IgA and IgG) for Helicobacter pylori were assayed in 69 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients (42 males, age 1–20 years) and 310 healthy controls (171 males, age 1–20 years). A positive antibody titre for Helicobacter pylori was found in 18/69 diabetic subjects compared to 17/310 controls ( p < 0.001). There was no difference between Helicobacter pylori positive and negative diabetic subjects as regards age, sex, duration of diabetes, diabetic control, insulin dose and SDS for weight and height. Gastroduodenoscopy revealed presence of Helicobacter pylori and evidence of gastric inflammation in 7/8 symptomatic diabetic children. There was a significant association in the diabetic subjects between positivity for anti-cow's milk protein and anti- Helicobacter antibodies, compared to the control group. Seven of the 17 diabetics studied within 3 months of the onset of diabetes had positive antibody titres for Helicobacter. Of these seven patients, five were positive for anti-cow's milk protein antibodies. In our study the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was significantly higher in diabetic subjects than in controls, but the infection was asymptomatic and there was no correlation with diabetes control. In diabetic subjects Helicobacter pylori infection was associated with a humoral response to cow's milk proteins and was often present from the onset of diabetes.