Helicobacter pylori Culture in Dental Plaque of Gastroduodenal Disease Patients / 대한소화기내시경학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The major mode of transmission of Helicobacter pylori is still uncertain. To investigate whether the oral cavity is a potential reservoir, dental plaques were cultured from patients with dyspeptic symptoms who underwent endoscopy. METHODS: Rapid urease test (CLO test), Giemsa stain, and culture were performed in 39 gastroscopic biopsy specimens from patients with peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis or gastric cancer. Ten gastric mucosal biopsy specimens and 39 dental plaque specimens were innoculated onto 5% sheep blood agar. RESULTS: Twenty patients (51%) were found to be H. pylori positive on antral histology or rapid urease test. Among ten patients, 8 patients (80%) were cultured for H. pylori from antral biopsies. However H. pylori was not isolated from any dental plaque regardless of their infective status and their oral hygiene or gingival status. CONCLUSIONS: We failed to isolate H. pylori from dental plaques in a group of dyspeptic patients with H. pylori-associated gastroduodenal disease. The findings strongly suggest that dental plaque is not an important reservoir of H. pylori and probably not a significant factor in the mode of transmission of H. pylori.