Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Siberia.

BACKGROUND: Despite many population-based epidemiological studies of Helicobacter pylori prevalence in different parts of the world, Russia still represents a 'blank spot' in this map. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection among the population of Siberia and to assess whether there is an association between abdominal symptoms and H. pylori positivity in our population. METHODS: Six hundred and forty-nine adults from five regions of Siberia and the Far East, and 79 children and adolescents from Novosibirsk participated in the study. Antibodies against H. pylori (IgG) were detected in serum using ELISA. RESULTS: The total percentage of infected adults varied from 70% to 92% depending on the region, and was somewhat lower in three populations living to the north of the 60th latitude compared with those under the 60th latitude. A lack of association was found between the presence of H. pylori and the gender, age and abdominal symptoms. Almost maximum prevalence of H. pylori infection occurred by 30 years of age with only a minor increase in older age groups. Half the children were infected with H. pylori by the age of 15. CONCLUSIONS: Helicobacter pylori infection is widespread among the Siberian populations with some trend in its prevalence to decrease northward. In Siberia age-specific prevalence rates of H. pylori infection are similar to those usual for developing countries.

[Carbohydrate tolerance and the blood levels of insulin and cortisol in the nonnative population of Chukotia]. / Tolerantnost' k uglevodam i uroven' insulina i kortizola v krovi u prishlogo naseleniia Chukotki.

Changes in endocrine-metabolic interrelationships (changes in blood hormone levels, the level of glycemia and carbohydrate tolerance) can be observed in a person moving to high altitude areas. The purpose of the present study was to investigate glucose tolerance disorders (GTD) in Chukot migrants and to examine the relationships of GTD development with blood insulin and cortisol levels. A representative sampling of male population aged 30 to 59 was examined. Carbohydrate metabolism was estimated using the GTT. Blood hormone levels were determined by a radioimmunoassay. Various types of GTD were revealed in 16% of the examinees. In persons with GTD total insulinemia after carbohydrate tolerance testing was higher than that in the examinees without GTD. GTD frequency was unassociated with basal insulinemia. Blood cortisol levels in the examenees with GTD were higher then those in the examinees without GTD. GTD frequency was higher in the examinees with the level of cortisol over 220 ng/ml. A conclusion is that a high frequency of GTD in Chukot migrants is associated, to a great extent, with an increased level of blood cortisol in relative insulin insufficiency.