Oral Cavity as an Extragastric Reservoir of Helicobacter pylori

Abstract

Background. Several studies were reported on the prevalence, and relationship between the existence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in oral cavity and in stomach of patients. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the existing literature on the presence of H. pylori in the oral cavity and its link to gastric infection, the existence of coinfection, and the impact of anti-H. pylori therapy on the dental plaque and vice versa. Method. Two authors independently searched the Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for relevant studies. The articles were analyzed critically and all qualified studies were included. The search was carried out by using a combined text and the MeSH search strategies: using the key words Helicobacter, Helicobacter pylori, and H. pylori in combination with dental plaque, periodontitis, and oral hygiene. Results. The data was presented in 8 tables and each topic separately discussed. Conclusion. Based on the systematic review of the available literature on H. pylori infection and its presence in the oral cavity, it can be concluded that dental plaque can act as a reservoir, and proper oral hygiene maintenance is essential to prevent reinfection. Due to the diversified methods and population groups involved in the available literature, no concrete evidence can be laid down. Further studies are necessary to establish the role of H. pylori in the oral cavity and its eradication on preventing the gastroduodenal infection.

An evaluation of selected oral health indicators and cariogenic bacteria titer in patients with Helicobacter pylori

“…15 According to other researchers, PCR DNA analysis revealed H. pylori in the oral cavity in 3-89% of cases. 4,7,8,14,16 Such disparate results may be due to different procedures employed for sampling, or a consequence of the primers used. This is because microorganisms similar in shape as well as other urease-producing bacteria may in fact be present in complex biofilm.…”

“…3 In other studies H. pylori has been isolated from saliva, dental plaque and various pathological lesions in the oral cavity. [4][5][6] The amounts of H. pylori genetic material found vary widely from study to study. For example, Song et al isolated bacteria from 97% of dental plaque samples and 55% of saliva samples, whereas Cammarota et al confirmed its presence in only 3.2% of dental plaque samples.…”

An update of laboratory diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…pylori has been found in the oral cavity [83], and this organism was found in both saliva and dental plaque detected by PCR [84]. Serology tests were also developed for saliva and found to be very useful for children.…”

Helicobacter pyloriand its reservoirs: A correlation with the gastric infection

“…In 1994, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization defined H. pylori as a Group 1 carcinogen [1,2] . It is estimated that the H. pylori is present in the stomachs of 50% of the world's population, but despite this high prevalence, we do not yet clearly understand its transmission.…”

“…Currently, the main area of research into natural reservoirs for H. pylori has included oral H. pylori with gastric infection and the presence of H. pylori in the stomach [1,4] . Many studies have suggested that the primary reservoir for H. pylori is the oral cavity, but overall, the results have been very inconsistent [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . Several previous studies reported success in diagnosing H. pylori from oral samples from dental plaque, saliva, tongue, tonsil tissue and root canals.…”