Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is a principal cause of chronic gastritis (CG), gastric and duodenal ulcers and a major risk factor for gastric cancer in humans. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the prevalence of H. pylori by different detection methods in symptomatic patients of Karachi. A total of 227 biopsy samples were collected from patients having complaints of peptic ulcer disease (PUD), chronic gastritis and/or abdominal discomfort (AD) from three different health providing institutions of Karachi during 2004- 2006 and analyzed for the presence of H. pylori. Comparative evaluation of three different conventional diagnostic techniques with that of a highly specific PCR amplification of ureC gene were carried out and found H. pylori in 62.5%, 64.7%, 68.7% and 59% by PCR, histology, rapid urease test and culture respectively. Out of 227 biopsy samples collected, 120 (52.8%) were H. pylori positive by all methods comprising 62 male patients and 58 female patients. A significant association between H. pylori infection and gastro duodenal diseases was observed. Among 120 H. pylori infected patients 56 were comprised of PUD, 37 with CG, 19 with AD and 8 with Gastric cancer (GCa). The epidemiology of H. pylori infection is also discussed.
