Reduced incidence of acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) of the gut in Chinese carriers of Helicobacter pylori during allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

• Published in: Annals of hematology 2004-01, Vol.83 (1), p.34-37
• Main Authors: Au, W Y, Wong, R W M, Wong, B C Y, Lie, A K W, Liang, R, Leung, A Y H, Kwong, Y-L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Adult; Age; Bone marrow transplantation; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - immunology; Carrier State - microbiology; Data processing; Digestive tract; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Female; Gastritis; Graft vs Host Disease - epidemiology; Graft vs Host Disease - etiology; Graft vs Host Disease - microbiology; Graft-versus-host reaction; Helicobacter Infections - immunology; Helicobacter pylori; Histocompatibility; Humans; Incidence; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Mucosa; Mucositis; peptic ulcers; Risk Factors; stem cell transplantation; Stem Cell Transplantation - adverse effects; Stem Cell Transplantation - methods; Toxicity
• ISSN: 0939-5555; 1432-0584
• DOI: 10.1007/s00277-003-0780-4

Helicobacter pylori ( H. Pylori) infection is associated with gastritis and peptic ulcer, but its relationship with gut graft versus host disease (GVHD) is unknown. We investigated the association between H. Pylori carriage and incidence and severity of mucosal toxicity and GVHD in 128 consecutive matched sibling stem cell transplantation (SCT) recipients. Using a verified enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA), 43.5% of patients had H. Pylori exposure before SCT. There was absolute concordance between serological and breath test data in 40 prospective cases. There was no increased risk in WHO grade 3 or 4 mucositis in H. Pylori carriers. Significant (grade II or above) overall GVHD was only predicted by preceding mucositis (p