1
Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpg.2006.10.005Get rights and content

Helicobacter pylori infection is now recognised as a worldwide problem. It is the most common cause of chronic gastritis, and is strongly linked to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. While the infection is usually acquired in childhood, there is typically a long period of latency with disease manifestations not appearing until adulthood. Gastric cancer does not usually manifest until old age. The infection has a high morbidity rate, but a low mortality rate and is curable with antibiotic therapy.

Section snippets

Geographical distribution of the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection

The prevalence of H. pylori infection varies from country to country with large differences between developed and developing countries1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Figure 1). The epidemiology of H. pylori infection in developing countries, such as India, Saudi Arabia or Vietnam, is characterised by a rapid rate of acquisition of the infection such that approximately 80% of the population is infected by the age of 20,1, 2, 6 because the disease is most often acquired in childhood7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or when young

Changing prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection

In the US infection is low among white and economically advantaged Americans. However, minority populations have a higher frequency of infection: US data indicate that black children aged 5 to 9 years have an overall infection frequency of 30%. Around the world, infection among children ranges from approximately 35% in Russia to 20% in China and Poland, 12% in Korea and America to <10% in France, Belgium and Finland.2, 8, 18, 20, 24, 25, 26 Despite high rates of infection in certain pockets of

Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and associated diseases

Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, primary gastric B-cell lymphoma and (indirectly) gastric adenocarcinoma.35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 All patients with infection develop gastric damage.41 Approximately 17% of infected patients develop peptic ulcer, and one quarter of such patients experience an ulcer complication.37 Numerous trials have shown that ulcer relapse is prevented following cure of the infection.42 Histologic and serologic studies have also shown

Changes in the environment and human behavior that influence the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection

It is now apparent that the decrease in age-adjusted prevalence of H. pylori infection in industrialised countries is related both to improved living conditions during childhood and to loss of infection. Although H. pylori infection is usually a chronic and life-long infection, spontaneous elimination of the infection was reported as early as 1992 using serologic tests50 and was confirmed using breath tests51 and by histology52 from both developed and underdeveloped countries. These

References (67)

  • D.Y. Graham et al.

    Seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in India. Comparison of developing and developed countries

    Dig Dis Sci

    (1991)
  • F. Megraud et al.

    Seroepidemiology of Campylobacter pylori infection in various populations

    J Clin Microbiol

    (1989)
  • T. Redlinger et al.

    Age distribution of Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence among young children in a United States/Mexico border community: evidence for transitory infection

    Am J Epidemiol

    (1999)
  • D.N. Taylor et al.

    The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection

    Epidemiol Rev

    (1991)
  • P.K. Bardhan et al.

    Helicobacter pylori infection in infants and children of Bangladesh

    Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax

    (1998)
  • M.A. Al-Moagel et al.

    Prevalence of Helicobacter (formerly Campylobacter) pylori infection in Saudi Arabia: and comparison of those with and without upper gastrointestinal symptoms

    Am J Gastroenterol

    (1990)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    Importance of childhood socioeconomic status on the current prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection

    Gut

    (1994)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korean children: inverse relation to socioeconomic status despite a uniformly high prevalence in adults

    Am J Epidemiol

    (1996)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    Helicobacter pylori acquisition in childhood: a 12-year follow-up cohort study in a bi-racial community

    Clin Infec Dis

    (1999)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    Helicobacter pylori infection in preschool and school age minority children attending day care centers: effect of socioeconomic indicators and breast feeding practice

    Clin Infec Dis

    (2001)
  • T. Breuer et al.

    Prevalence of and risk factors for Helicobacter pylori infection in the western part of Germany

    Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol

    (1996)
  • G.I. Perez-Perez et al.

    Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infections in Thailand

    J Infect Dis

    (1990)
  • EUROGAST Study Group

    Epidemiology of, and risk factors for, Helicobacter pylori infection among 3194 asymptomatic subjects in 17 populations

    Gut

    (1993)
  • M. Dehesa et al.

    High prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and histologic gastritis in asymptomatic Hispanics

    J Clin Microbiol

    (1991)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    Helicobacter pylori and socioeconomic factors in Russia

    Helicobacter

    (1996)
  • F. Sitas et al.

    Helicobacter pylori infection rates in relation to age and social class in a population of Welsh men

    Gut

    (1991)
  • H.M. Mitchell et al.

    Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori in southern China: identification of early childhood as the critical period for acquisition

    J Infect Dis

    (1992)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    A Cotwin study of the effect of environment on Helicobacter pylori acquisition

    Am J Epidemiol

    (1998)
  • H.M. Malaty et al.

    Genetic and environmental influences of Helicobacter pylori infection: a twin study

    Ann Intern Med

    (1994)
  • Y. Yamaoka et al.

    Conservation of Helicobacter pylori genotypes in different ethnic groups in Houston

    Texas. J Infec Dis

    (2000)
  • T. Matysiak-Budnik et al.

    Helicobacter pylori infection in Eastern Europe: seroprevalence in the Polish population of Lower Silesia

    Am J Gastroenterol

    (1996)
  • M. Ashorn et al.

    Helicobacter pylori infection in Finnish children and adolescents: a serologic cross-sectional and follow-up study

    Scand J Gastroenterol

    (1995)
  • T. Kumagai et al.

    Acquisition vs. Loss of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Japan: results from 8-year Birth Cohort Study

    J Infec Dis

    (1998)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text