Association between seropositivity of antibodies against hepatitis a virus and Helicobacter pylori

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2000 Sep-Oct;63(3-4):189-91. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2000.63.189.

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis A virus (HAV) are documented to share common transmission routes including fecal-oral. This study examined the association between seropositivity of antibodies against H. pylori (anti-HP) and HAV (anti-HAV) via a community-based survey of 40 randomly selected kindergartens in 10 urban and 10 rural areas. Serum samples from 2,047 healthy preschool children and 104 teachers were screened for anti-HP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and for anti-HAV by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. In children, a low prevalence of anti-HAV (0.44%) was found, in contrast to a high prevalence in their teachers (78.8%); anti-HP seroprevalence was 6.4% for children and 30.8% for teachers. Anti-HAV and anti-HP seropositivities were significantly associated in teachers after adjustment for age, sex, and residential area through multiple logistic regression analysis (multivariate-adjusted odds ratio = 7.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-36.8, P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that HAV and H. pylori may have shared transmission routes in central Taiwan 15 years or more ago, but not any recently.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Helicobacter Infections / blood
  • Helicobacter Infections / epidemiology*
  • Helicobacter pylori / immunology*
  • Hepatitis A / blood
  • Hepatitis A / epidemiology*
  • Hepatovirus / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Rural Health
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Taiwan / epidemiology
  • Urban Health

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Antibodies, Viral