Effect of Palatine Tonsil and Adenoid Tissue on Gastric Infection of Helicobacter Pylori

Cho, Keun Kyung; Lee, Seung Sin; Shim, Ki Nam

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the major pathogenetic factors in the development of various gastric diseases, its mode of transmission is not yet fully understood. Because palatine tonsils and adenoids are composed of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, which is also observed in H. pylori-related gastritis, these tissues may be considered to be an extragastric reservoir for H. pylori infection. In the present study, we investigated whether H. pylori colonization in adenoid and tonsillar tissue was associated with gastric infection.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
This study included 38 patients aged 6 to 35 who had undergone adenotonsillectomy or tonsillectomy. Urea breath test (UBT) was performed on each patient prior to surgery. Tonsil and adenoid tissue samples were placed in Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test kit immediately after their removal. And Giemsa stain was used for histologic localization of H. pylori.
RESULTS
Eleven (28.9%) of the 38 patients were H. pylori-positive on UBT, eight (21.1%) were positive on CLO test, and seven (18.4%) were positive on histologic study. In either CLO test or histologic study, 12 patients were H. pylori-positive. H. pylori-positive rate on UBT was higher significantly in group with H. pylori-positive tonsil tissues than in group with H. pylori-negative ones.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that palatine tonsils may either be an extragastric reservoir for H. pylori, or a transmission route for H. pylori infection. Thus, H. pylori colonization in adenoid and tonsil tissue may be associated with H. pylori-related gastric diseases.