@article {Tsang1345, author = {KW Tsang and WK Lam and E Kwok and KN Chan and WH Hu and GC Ooi and L Zheng and BC Wong and SK Lam}, title = {Helicobacter pylori and upper gastrointestinal symptoms in bronchiectasis}, volume = {14}, number = {6}, pages = {1345--1350}, year = {1999}, doi = {10.1183/09031936.99.14613459}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {The recently reported increase in seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori, the causative pathogen in peptic ulceration, in bronchiectasis is unexplained. Therefore, the association of antibodies directed against cytotoxin-associated gene A(CagA), whose expression indicates virulence of H. pylori, and upper gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with stable bronchiectasis and healthy volunteers evaluated. One hundred patients (mean +/- SD age 55.1+/-16.7 yrs) and 94 healthy asymptomatic subjects (54.6+/-7.6 yrs) underwent clinical and physiological assessment and serum levels of anti-H. pylori CagA were determined using standard clinical and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. Samples were positive for anti-H. pylori CagA in 11.7\% of controls and 24\% of bronchiectatic subjects (p = 0.03). There was, however, no association between serum H. pylori CagA immunoglobulin G level and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), sputum volume, respiratory symptoms or upper respiratory gastrointestinal symptoms (p\>0.05). Patients who suffered from acid regurgitation or upper abdominal distension had significantly lower FEV1 and FVC (as a percentage of the predicted value) compared to their counterparts. The results of anticytotoxin-associated gene A measurements in this study contrasted with the previous finding that anti-Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G correlated with sputum volume. These findings, therefore, suggest that Helicobacter pylori, should it have a pathogenic role in bronchiectasis, could act via noncytotoxin-associated gene A-mediated mechanisms, and, in this context, gastro-oesophageal reflux might be of importance in bronchiectasis.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/14/6/1345}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/14/6/1345.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }