Detection of Helicobacter pylori in various oral lesions by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

Nested PCR was used for the detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in specimens collected from seven different topographic sites in the oral cavity. Out of 161 patients, only 21 (13.04%) were positive. There was no correlation between H. pylori status and patient diagnosis and age. No preferential site for bacterial colonization was found in the oral cavity, nor was an association established between a bacterial presence and ulcerated versus non-ulcerated lesions. The results indicate that the oral mucosa does not appear to represent a preferred site of colonization for H. pylori. Furthermore, the evidence presented in this paper suggests that H. pylori is not pathogenic in the oral cavity, nor is it associated with common oral pathologic processes.