Abstract
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated higher frequencies of the O blood group and the non-secretor phenotype of ABH antigens among patients suffering from peptic ulcers. Since Helicobacter pylori has been established as the main etiological factor in this disease, controversies about the associations of the ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes and secretor and non-secretor phenotypes in relation to susceptibility towards infection by this bacillus have been presented. To verify the frequencies of ABO, Lewis blood group phenotypes, secretor and non-secretor phenotypes in patients infected or uninfected by H. pylori. Cross-sectional study. Outpatient clinic. One hundred and twenty patients with dyspeptic symptoms who underwent endoscopy. ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes were determined by a standard hemagglutination test and the secretor and non-secretor phenotypes were evaluated by saliva samples using the inhibitor hemagglutination test. The diagnosis of infection, made via breath and urea tests and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in gastric biopsy fragments, showed the presence of H. pylori in 61.7% of the patients and absence in 38.3%. The differences between the frequencies of the ABO blood group phenotypes among infected (A 27.0%; B 12.2%; AB 4.0% and O 56.8%) and uninfected patients (A 58.7%; B 13.0%; AB 4.3% and O 24.0%) were significant. The Lewis blood type, secretor and non-secretor phenotypes showed homogeneous distribution between the groups of patients analyzed. Our results suggest that the infection of H. pylori can be related to ABO blood groups but not to the Lewis blood group nor to secretor and non-secretor phenotypes.
Highlights
MethodsPatients were included in the study if they had symptoms of dyspepsia and if upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was indicated
Our results suggest that the infection of H. pylori can be related to ABO blood groups but not to the Lewis blood group nor to secretor and non-secretor phenotypes
These associations remained relatively unstudied until Borén et al suggested that the Leb antigen of the Lewis blood group system acts as a receptor for H. pylori on the gastric mucosa.[12]
Summary
Patients were included in the study if they had symptoms of dyspepsia and if upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was indicated. This group included sufferers of gastric and duodenal ulcers. The study had prior approval from the Research Ethics Committee of the Institution (case 4657/97) and informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Patients who were less than 18 years old or pregnant, those who had gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage or acute gastritis, and those who had used a proton-pump inhibitor in the previous week or had used an H2 receptor antagonist in the previous 24 hours, were excluded from the study.
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