Helicobacter pylori infection among patients with diabetes mellitus

Abstract EN

Helicobacter pylori (H.

pylori) is a gram-negative bacterium that specifically colonizes the gastric epithelium causing many complications.

The link between H.

pylori infection and diabetes mellitus (DM) remains controversial.

This study was conducted to determine the frequency of H.

pylori infection among a group of subjects with DM and to compare it with that of an age and sex-matched group of non-diabetic subjects.

This case control study was conducted in Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital, Basrah, Southern Iraq from January 2013 to September 2014 on 200 subjects aged ≥ 40 years, 100 diabetic and 100 non-diabetic subjects.

All subjects were required to submit fresh stool samples which were tested for evidence of H.pylori infection by stool antigen positivity.

Helicobacter pylori infection was detected in 43 % of diabetic group and 25 % of controls, which was found to be statistically significant ( p value = 0.

007).

In conclusion, the present study suggests that diabetic subjects are at more risk for H.

pylori infection in comparison to non-diabetic subjects.

This association is found to be higher in those with long duration of DM and those with poor glycemic control.