Tooth Loss andHelicobacter pyloriSeropositivity: the Newcastle Thousand Families Cohort Study at Age 49–51 Years.

Helicobacter pylori, one of the commonest chronic bacterial infections of humankind, is an important risk factor for gastric carcinoma. It has also been suggested to be present in dental plaque. This study investigated the potential link between the number of teeth lost andH. pyloriseropositivity at age 50 years.H. pyloriseropositivity at age 50 years was investigated among 334 individuals born in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, in May and June 1947 and related to the number of teeth lost, after adjusting for socioeconomic status.The unadjusted risk of being seropositive forH. pyloriincreased with increasing number of teeth lost (odds ratio per tooth 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.06,p = .019). However, after adjustment for socioeconomic status at birth and at age 50 years, the relationship was no longer significant (p = .36).Our results, obtained using prospectively collected data, suggest that any relationship between poor oral health and seropositivity toH. pylorimay be due to both tooth loss andH. pyloricolonization being associated with socioeconomic status and related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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