ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND LARYNGOHYPOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Background. Gastroesophageal reflux, by exposing the pharynx to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylon), is a potential risk factor for laryngohypopharyngeal carcinoma Its possible association has been inconsistent, In this case-control study, we investigated the relationship between H. pylon seropositivity and laryngohypopharyngeal carcinoma in Iran. Methods. We had 105 healthy controls (group A), 70 cases of laryngeal carcinoma (group 3), and 28 cases of hypopharyngeal carcinoma group (group C). Age, sex, smoking habit, alcohol use, and H. pylon serology were determined for all subjects. Results. Groups were matched in age and alcohol use. Smoking and H. pylon seropositivity were more common in groups B and C, and male sex was more common in group B (compared with group A). In multivariate regression, the effect of smoking (p <.01, odds ratio [OR] = 2.92) and H. pyloriseropositivity (p <.01, OR = 11.49) remained highly significant. Conclusion. H. pylori is an independent risk factor for laryngohypopharyngeal carcinoma. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 30: 1624-1627, 2008