GOAL: To find out a serology prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate its relationship to pharmacotherapy modes.

METHOD: To determine Hp IgG class and IgA class antibodies by ELISA method in hospitalised patients with active RA according to ACR criteria (1987).

RESULTS: 137 patients with RA were examined--20 men, 117 women, an average age was 54.6 +/- 13.1, an average length of RA in these patients was 12.46 +/- 9.75, positive RF/LFT had 88% of patients. Hp ELISA IgG antibodies were confirmed in 57% (78/137) of patients with RA, Hp ELISA IgA antibodies were confirmed in 60% of examined patients (82/137), and IgG + IgA antibodies simultaneously were found in 51% (70/137) of examined patients. A comparison of basic demographic data, specific parameters of the disease, and clinical signs has not confirmed any differences between groups of Hp positive and Hp negative patients. Patients with both types of Hp antibodies (IgG + IgA) had more frequent signs of RA in other places than joints (p = 0.046). RA patients with anti-Hp IgG antibodies more frequently used anticoagulation drugs (p = 0.029) while patients with anti-Hp IgA antibodies more frequently used methotrexate (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Results point out more frequent incidence of Hp IgA antibodies in RA patients treated with methotrexate and more frequent incidence of both IgG and IgA antibodies in patients with RA signs in other places than joints.

Keywords: Antibodies, Bacterial /analysis/; Antirheumatic Agents /therapeutic use/; Arthritis, Rheumatoid /drug therapy/; Female; Helicobacter Infections /complications/; Helicobacter pylori /isolation & purification/; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Seroepidemiologic Studies