OBJECTIVETo investigate the difference in Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection rate between the patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and the patients with benign laryngeal lesions and to explore the role of Hp infection in the pathogenesis of laryngeal squamous carcinoma.

METHODSNested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) and Hp culture were used to identify the Hp in laryngeal mucosa in 30 patients with laryngeal carcinoma and 15 patients with benign laryngeal lesions including polyps of vocal cords or epiglottic cysts.

RESULTSnPCR showed that Hp-positive rate (73.3%) of patients with laryngeal carcinoma was significantly higher than that (20.0%) of control patients with benign laryngeal lesions (χ(2) = 11.520, P = 0.010). Regarding the 22 positive neoplastic cases that have 44 tissues, out of the 22 tumor tissues, 10 were positive with Hp (45.4%), and among 22 tissues beside the tumor, 19 were positive (86.4%). This event also indicated a statistical significance (χ(2) = 4.697, P = 0.030). Hp culture showed that Hp was negative in all specimens.

CONCLUSIONSHp exist in the laryngeal mucosa, but with the higher rate of Hp infection in the patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma than that in the patients with benign laryngeal lesions, which suggests Hp may be one of pathogenic factors of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.