Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 54, Issue 8 M400-M403, Copyright © 1999 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Helicobacter antibodies in Finnish centenarians

L Rehnberg-Laiho, J Louhija, H Rautelin, J Jusufovic, R Tilvis, A Miettinen and TU Kosunen
Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, The Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of helicobacter antibodies increases with age and, in many developed countries, is highest in people born before 1940. Data on very old subjects are, however, limited. In this study we wanted to determine whether the age-related increase in the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection continues even in the oldest age group alive in Finland, the centenarians. METHODS: Sera from 173 subjects (93% of all centenarians alive in Finland in 1991) were available for the present study. IgG and IgA antibodies against H. pylori were determined by an in-house enzyme immunoassay. To estimate the influence of atrophic gastritis on the prevalence of helicobacter antibodies, serum pepsinogen I (PG I) concentrations and parietal cell antibodies (PCAs) were measured by an enzyme immunoassay and indirect immunofluorescence, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of helicobacter antibodies in Finnish centenarians was 66%. Low PG I values (<28 microg/l) were found in 36% and positive PCAs in 16% of the subjects studied. The prevalence of PCAs was especially high (50%) in H. pylori-negative subjects with low PG I values, suggesting severe gastric atrophy. CONCLUSIONS: The age-related increase in H. pylori seroprevalence did not continue in the oldest age group alive in Finland. This may be explained partly by a relatively high frequency of atrophic gastritis (as suggested by low PG I values) in H. pylori- negative centenarians, but other factors--such as selective H. pylori- related mortality--may also have contributed to the fairly low seroprevalence (66%) observed.