Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in dyspeptic patients in Iran

• Main Authors: Leila Shokrzadeh, Kaveh Baghaei, Yoshio Yamaoka, Seiji Shiota, Dariush Mirsattari, Asma Porhoseingholi, Mohammad Reza Zali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2012-05-01
• Series: Gastroenterology Insights
• Subjects: Helicobacter pylori, clinical symptoms, family history, dyspeptic patients
• Online Access: http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/gi/article/view/3208

Although <em>Helicobacter pylori</em> (<em>H. pylori</em>) infection has been known to be associated with several upper gastrointestinal disorders such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, the relationship between <em>H. pylori</em> infection and dyspeptic symptoms remains controversial. Furthermore, it is still not clear which factors are associated with <em>H. pylori</em> infection in the Iranian population. We investigated the prevalence of <em>H. pylori </em>infection in dyspeptic patients and factors associated with <em>H. pylori</em> infection in the Iranian population. In this cross-sectional study, 303 patients with dyspeptic symptoms underwent endoscopy. Clinical data and a questionnaire about gastrointestinal symptoms were collected from each patient. <em>H. pylori </em>status was evaluated by histological examination. Among the 303 patients, 263 (86.8%) were found to be positive for <em>H. pylori.</em> The prevalence of H. pylori infection decreased significantly with age. There was no difference in the prevalence of <em>H. pylori</em> infection between the patients with and those without a family history of gastroduodenal diseases. Among 250 patients with abdominal pain, 219 (87.6%) were infected with <em>H. pylori. </em>Among 211 patients with epigastric abdominal pain, 185 (87.7%) were infected with <em>H. pylori</em>. It was observed that belching was significantly associated with <em>H. pylori</em> infection (P = 0.03). Dyspepsia triggered by the consumption of tea was higher in<em> H. pylori-</em>positive patients than in <em>H. pylori-</em>negative patients (P = 0.03). The prevalence of<em> H. pylori </em>infection in dyspeptic patients was quite high in Iran. Belching and dyspepsia triggered by tea consumption was related with <em>H. pylori</em> infection.