Background and aims: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an accepted cause of atrophic gastritis and gastroduodenal ulcer. Moreover, H. pylori infection is a well-known environmental risk factor for gastric cancer. H. pylori has also been detected in several other organs such as dental plaque, saliva, adenoid and tonsil tissue, nasal and paranasal sisus mucosa. However, there are only a few reports investigating the presence of the H. pylori in head and neck tumor tissues. Therefore, we investigated whether H. pylori exists in head and neck tumor tissues.
Materials and methods: The presence of H. pylori was investigated in 31 head and neck tumor specimens by polymerase chain reaction, culture, and immunohistochemical analysis. The presence of anti-H. pylori antibody was also investigated in the urine.
Results: in any of the 31 tumor specimens H. pyroli was not detected by any of the method used, even though 21 of 31 patients had the anti-H. pylori antibody.
Conclusion: H. pylori was not detected in head and neck tumor tissues in this series. These findings suggest that there is no relationship between head and neck tumors and H. pylori infection.