Relation between infection with Helicobacter pylori and living conditions in childhood: evidence for person to person transmission in early life.

Abstract Abstract Objectives : To relate the prevalence of infection with Helicobacter pylori in adults to their living conditions in childhood to indentify risk factors for infection. Design : Prevalence study of IgG antibodies to H pylori (>10 μg IgG/ml, determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)) and reported living conditions and other socioeconomic factors in childhood. Setting : Three factories in Stoke on Trent. Subjects : 471 male volunteers aged 18 to 65 years. Main outcome measures : Seroprevalence and variables in childhood. Results : Seroprevalence of H pylori increased with age (22/74 (29.7%) at Conclusions : Close person to person contact in childhood is an important determinant of seroprevalence of H pylori in adulthood, suggesting that the infection is transmitted directly from one person to another and may be commonly acquired in early life.