High prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in institutionalized schizophrenic patients

gender. Schizophrenic patients were diagnosed Gastroscopic lesions 0% 22% 29% according to DSM-IV-criteria (Table 1). The cohort of patients was divided into three groups according to life-time length of stay: 5 years. The presence hospital for the schizophrenic patients. The seroof Helicobacter pylori was assessed by means of an prevalence increased with length of stay in instituenzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Malakit, tions and reached a plateau at 38% after five years Biolab; Blecker et al., 1993). Controls were healthy of stay. volunteer blood donors. Our study shows a high prevalence of We found significant dierences between Helicobacter pylori in institutionalized schizopatients and controls on prevalence of Helicobacter phrenic patients. Transmission occurs in the first pylori (34.8% vs. 14.6%, p