ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the main etiologic agent of chronic gastritis and it is an important cause of gastric damage. The celiac disease can affect the morphology and the function of the gastrointestinal tract from the stomach to the colon and it is frequently associated with chronic gastritis. AIM: to assess the presence of H. pylori in gastric biopsies and in feces of pediatric patients with celiac disease and to relate it with the symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pediatric patients with celiac disease attending the Gastroenterology Service at the "Avelino Castelán" Hospital in Resistencia (Argentina) were included in the study. Gastric biopsies samples were obtained by endoscopy for histological studies, the symptoms and socio-epidemiological characteristics were recorded and the polimerase chain reaction(PCR) was applied in feces in order to detect the presence of H. pylori. RESULTS: Thirty one patients with celiac disease were studied (16 female and 15 male; age range:1-14 years; median 6.7 years); 14 (45.2%) were positive for H. pylori in gastric biopsy and among them, only 2 (14.2%) were positive for H. pylori in stool samples. There were not significant differences between symptoms between H. pylori positive and negative patients. CONCLUSION: 45.2% of the patients with celiac disease were infected by H. pylori. There was no correlation between the frequencies of bacterial detection in feces and in gastric biopsies. The clinical manifestations of celiac disease did not increase in children infected with H. pylori.
