Epidemiologic serologic survey of helicobacter pylori infection among a child population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract EN

Helicobacter pylori infection plays a definite role in the pathogenesis and recurrence of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

There is increasing evidence implicating it in the development of gastric lymphoma and adenocarcinoma.

This study was designed to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in asymptomatic children in Jeddah.

Serum was collected from 640 children and tested for the presence of Immunoglobulin antibodies to Helicobacter pylori using (HM-CAP), high molecular weight cell associated proteins Helicobacter enzyme immune assay, 10 % of all patients were confirmed by Helicowestern-Blot 2.0 assay for positivity or negativity.

The study shows that seropositivity increased significantly with increasing age, in Saudi children from 5 % (1-2 years of age) to 29 % (8-14 years old) and in non-Saudi children from 13.6 % (1-2 years old) to 50 % (8-14 years old).

However, there is no statistically significant difference in infection between males and females.

Helicobacter pylori rate of infection in non-Saudi children is similar to those reported from poorly developed countries and in Saudi children is similar to those reported from some of the industrialized nations.