Original Article

Helicobacter Pylori in Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever

10.4274/Haseki.886

  • Süleyman Kalman
  • Latif Duranoğlu
  • Onur Sakallıoğlu
  • Özdeş Emer
  • Faysal Gök

Received Date: 04.02.2013 Accepted Date: 04.02.2013 Med Bull Haseki 2013;51(2):41-44

Aim:

To investigate if Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection is associated with acute phase reactants (APRs) and attacks in children with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).

Methods:

The study group consisted of 30 patients with FMF (mean age: 9.2±4.7 years (range: 4-15) diagnosed based on the Tel Hashomer criteria and molecular analysis. All participants were receiving colchicine and were attack-free at the time of study. The analyses included white blood cell (WBC), erytrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), acute phase reactants (APRs) (c-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmine), and Carbon-14 breath test for H.pylori.

Results:

H. pylori breath test was positive in 14 patients (46%; Group I) and negative in 16 patients (54%; Group II). Despite colchicine treatment, the rate of patients experiencing at least one FMF attack per year was 57.14% in Group I (ratio: 8/14) and 56.25% in Group II (ratio: 9/16) (p>0.05), thus, showing no significant relationship between attack frequency and H. pylori positivity in patients with FMF Among the other laboratory analyses, only ESR (10.25 mm/h in Group I vs. 6.42 mm/h in Group II) and CRP (5.4 mg/dl in Group I vs. 2.8 mg/dl in Group II) showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

H.pylori seems not to be crucial for the sake of frequency of attacks and APRs other than ESR and CRP However, since H. pylori is frequently encountered in the population and due to its trigger effect on inflammation, the determination and eradication of H. pylori needs to be further evaluated in larger populations.

Keywords: FMF, H. pylori, acute phase reactants

Full Text (Turkish)