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Are Helicobacter Species and Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis Involved in Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if either Helicobacter or enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) was linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), using PCR. We analyzed the luminal washings and colonic biopsies of 35 patients with IBD and 37 control patients. The presence of Helicobacter was confirmed in the luminal washing of one IBD patient and three control patients and in the biopsies of two IBD patients. Ten of 28 control patients and 8 of 32 IBD patients had a positive luminal washing for the enterotoxin gene. Six of 33 control patients and 4 of 32 IBD patients had positive biopsies. The prevalence of the enterotoxin gene was higher in IBD patients with active disease compared with patients with inactive disease, although it did not achieve statistical significance. In conclusion, Helicobacter was not associated with IBD in our population of patients, although ETBF may be associated with active disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Infectious Diseases and International Health, Royal Free & University College London Medical School, London, United Kingdom

    Christelle Basset, John Holton & Alexandra Bazeos

  2. Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Dino Vaira & Stuart Bloom

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  1. Christelle Basset
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  2. John Holton
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  4. Dino Vaira
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Basset, C., Holton, J., Bazeos, A. et al. Are Helicobacter Species and Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis Involved in Inflammatory Bowel Disease?. Dig Dis Sci 49, 1425–1432 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:DDAS.0000042241.13489.88

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:DDAS.0000042241.13489.88

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