Anti-CagA antibodies in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients and blood donors from Nigeria

Trop Doct. 2001 Jul;31(3):147-9. doi: 10.1177/004947550103100310.

Abstract

The prevalence of antibodies to CagA protein was evaluated in 174 Helicobacter pylori-positive. subjects: 110 patients submitted to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and 64 male blood donors. The patients were from different regions of Nigeria: Jos, North, Benue,West and East and the blood donors were from Jos. Sera were assayed for anti-CagA antibodies using Helicobacter p120, CagA ELISA (Viva Diagnostika, Hürth, Germany). Anti-CagA antibodies were detected in 104 (94.5%) patients and in 61 (95.3%) blood donors (P=1.0). Patients from the Benue region presented a lower frequency of anti-CagA antibodies than patients from the other regions (P=0.0004). When the subjects were stratified by age, a significant increase in IgG concentration was observed among the men (P=0.03) but not among the women (P=0.57) or among the blood donors (P=0.83). In conclusion, similarly toAsian countries, CagA-positive H. pylori infection is highly frequent in Nigeria.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antigens, Bacterial / isolation & purification*
  • Bacterial Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Blood Donors / statistics & numerical data
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Duodenal Ulcer / microbiology
  • Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / statistics & numerical data
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Helicobacter Infections / epidemiology*
  • Helicobacter pylori / immunology*
  • Helicobacter pylori / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nigeria / epidemiology
  • Prevalence

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori