Helicobacter Forums

Hello All,

I work in the medical field in California, USA. I have noticed that a great majority of people we test for H.pylori are positive for this infection. Is there any way that I may obtain incidence rate data for H.pylori in California?
Thank you for your help

In California, Hp infection is high if you are an immigrant (from Mexico etc.) or lived in a poor neighborhood as a child. The NHANES study looks at Helicobacter from time to time, an early version is at this link: http://www.jstor.org/pss/30129666
The abstract is below but you can probably find a more recent version on line at pubmed. In 1967, about 60% of whites were infected (retrospective serology study reported by Parsonnet, J), but the infection rate has declined by 15% per decade since then to about 15% now. In the black population it is about 30% I think. In Hispanics it is more than that. In general, when you drink clean water, live in a nice house and have a smaller family then Hp decreases. (I love California )

A Population-Based Serologic Survey of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children and Adolescents in the United States, by Mary A. Staat, Deanna Kruszon-Moran, Geraldine M. McQuillan and Richard A. Kaslow © 1996 The University of Chicago Press.

Abstract
To provide more accurate estimates of Helicobacter pylori infection in the US population, IgG antibody levels were measured in serum from 2581 persons aged 6-19 years examined during phase 1 of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Overall, 24.8% of participants had evidence of H. pylori infection. Infection was strongly associated with increasing age (χ² trend, P < .01) and being nonwhite (17.0% of non-Hispanic whites vs. 40.1% of non-Hispanic blacks and 42.0% of Mexican Americans infected). In a multivariate logistic regression model, H. pylori infection was significantly associated with increasing age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07/year), being nonwhite (non-Hispanic black OR = 2.6 or Mexican American OR = 1.8), poverty (OR = 1.5), crowding (OR = 5.6), and head of household education level (OR = 1.8). In Mexican Americans, infection was associated with birth outside the United States or Canada in the univariate analyses but was not significantly associated after adjustment for age, poverty, crowding, and head of household education level.

Data below is from 1999-2000 NHANES study in this reference:
http://cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/frequen ... pylori.pdf

Virtually all H. pylori infected persons possess IgG antibodies to H. pylori. The prevalence of H. pylori infection found in individuals with related clinical conditions is found in Table 1 below. Because the presence of the H. pylori organism is so common and because the simple colonization is asymptomatic (vs symptomatic infection), many individuals apparently free of gastrointestinal systems are antibody-positive. The height of antibody response is not correlated with the presence or severity of symptoms. The prevalence of H. pylori antibodies rises with age as shown in Table 2. H. pylori antibodies are found in men and women at equal rates; Blacks, Hispanics, and persons born outside the United States show higher rates of colonization.

Table 1 - Prevalence of H. pylori in Persons with Related Clinical Conditions
Diagnosis Incidence
Chromic active (Type B) gastritis 95-100%
Duodenal Ulceration 96-98%
Gastric Ulceration 60-90%
Non-ulcer dyspepsia 50-75%
Pernicious anemia (Type A) gastritis 0-20%

Table 2 - Prevalence of H. pylori Antibodies Found in Asymptomatic Caucasians in the U.S.
Age (Years) Prevalence
0-19 <10%
20-29 5-20%
30-39 10-30%
40-49 20-40%
50-59 30-50%
60+ 40-60%

Dr.

Wow, that is alot of useful information! Thank you so very much for the information. It is a great honor to have you personally respond to my inquiry.
Highest regards,

Victor