Co-incidence of Colonization of Helicobacter Pylori in Hyperplastic Adenotonsillar Tissues and Its Antigen in Children

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that causes gastritis, gastric ulcers, and cancer. A major problem in the treatment of H. pylori-infected patients is re-infection with other H. pylori strains, which suggests the probability of colonization of this bacteria in other tissues of the body. Adenotonsillar tissues as the entrance of the gastrointestinal system might be considered as a place for H. pylori colonization and a reservoir for re-infection. The aim of this study was to survey the co-incidence of colonization of H. pylori in hyperplastic adenotonsillar tissues and its antigen in children.

In this cross-sectional study, 92 children candidates for adenotonsillar surgery in Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital of Babol in 2019 were enrolled. Before the surgery, stool samples were taken and tested with the rapid stool antigen kit for H. pylori. In the operating room, a sample with a size of two mm was separated from the adenotonsillar tissues and was placed in the rapid urease kit. Finally, all adenotonsillar tissues were sent for pathologic evaluation.

According to obtained results from the study, eight (8.5%) patients had a positive stool antigen for H. pylori, and a positive rapid urease test was reported in the samples of adenotonsillar tissues of six patients. Co-incidence of colonization of H. pylori in hyperplastic adenotonsillar tissues and its antigen were reported in two patients. All samples were confirmed by pathology as lymphoid hyperplasia.

H. pylori can be colonized in adenotonsillar tissues, and there is a probability of its co-incidence with H. pylori stool antigen in children.