Current Prevalence of Oral <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> among Japanese Adults Determined Using a Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay

• Main Authors: Ryoko Nagata, Tatsuya Ohsumi, Shoji Takenaka, Yuichiro Noiri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Pathogens
• Subjects: <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>; oral cavity; nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR); prevalence; characteristic distribution
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/1/10

In Japan, gastric <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> infection prevalence has markedly decreased with socioeconomic development. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of oral <i>H. pylori</i> in Japanese adults in 2020 by sex, age, sampling site, and medical history. Unstimulated saliva, supragingival biofilm, and tongue coating were obtained from 88 subjects–with no complaints of upper digestive symptoms–attending a dentist’s office for dental check-up or disorders. Supragingival biofilm was collected from the upper incisors, lower incisors, upper right molars and lower left molars to analyze the characteristic distribution. Oral <i>H. pylori</i> was detected using nested polymerase chain reaction. Oral <i>H. pylori </i>prevalence did not statistically differ by sex or age. Supragingival biofilm (30.7%) was the most common oral <i>H. pylori</i> niche; it was also detected in 4.5% of saliva and 2.3% of tongue samples. The lower incisor was the most common site among the supragingival biofilm samples, followed by the upper incisors, lower left molars, and upper right molars. Oral <i>H. pylori</i> DNA was frequently detected in patients with a history of gastric <i>H. pylori</i> infection. Oral <i>H. pylori</i> has a characteristic distribution independent of sex and age, suggesting that it is part of the normal microflora in the adult oral cavity.