Prevalence of helicobacter pylori antibodies in Slovenia in 2005
Abstract
Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is the most common human infection. Its prevalence is declining in the Western world because of better sanitation and living conditions and because of medical treatment of symptomatic carriers of infection. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of infection in Slovenia in 2005. The antibody titer against bacteria Helicobacter pylori in tested sera was applied as detection tool.
Patients and methods: Serum samples from 1045 individuals from 0 to 90 years of age were collected. The laboratory investigations by ELISA tests for IgG and IgA antibodies to Helicobacter pylori were performed at the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology Medical Faculty in Ljubljana. Patients were divided by decades into age groups, and by sex into male and female groups.
Results: The prevalence of seropositivity increases with age; there is no difference between men and women. The mean seropositivity rate is 25.1% (95% CI 23–28%). The peak seropositivity rate is 54% (95% CI 40–69%) in the age group 60 to 69 years. There are 9.4% positive participants in the age group 0 to 19 and 29.6% seropositive participants in the age group between 20 and 49 years.
Conclusions: The Helicobacter pylori seropositivity rate has fallen dramatically in the last 15 years. There is still more than one quarter of population younger than 45 years infected, which is very important in deciding about the right therapeutic approach to that particular segment of our population.
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