Helicobacter pylori infection among patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms: prevalence and relation to endoscopy diagnosis and histopathology

AIM: To determine the prevalence of H. pylori based on endoscopic biopsy and to investigate the association between H. pylori and endoscopy diagnosis and histopathological diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Over a period of two years, 228 endoscopic biopsies were included. Endoscopy diagnosis, histopathological diagnosis, and colonization with H. pylori were recorded and compared using appropriate statistical tests. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of H. pylori was 68%; 69.6% in males and 66.7% in females. Duodenal and gastric ulcers were seen more in males (63.2% and 60%) compared with females (32.1% and 40%) (P < 0.001). The total rate of colonization of H. pylori in duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer (85.7% and 84%, respectively) was significantly higher than those in gastritis, duodenitis, and gastric cancer (61.8%, 69.2%, and 60%, respectively) (P = 0.046). Histologically, chronic active gastritis and chronic follicular gastritis was significantly higher in duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer (57.1%, 44% and 21%, 40%) in comparison to chronic persistent gastritis (21.4%, 16%) with P value < 0.001. Similarly, chronic active gastritis and chronic follicular gastritis had higher prevalence of H. pylori infection in comparison to chronic persistent gastritis (85.3%, 83.3% vs. 41.4%) with P value < 0.001. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the overall prevalence of H. pylori infection is high in our setting with no significant difference in gender. Peptic ulcers were common in males. Those with peptic ulcers had higher rates of H. pylori colonization. Chronic active gastritis and chronic follicular gastritis were common histological findings in ulcerative diseases with significantly higher H. pylori positivity.