Abstract
Helicobacter pylori and HCV are the most prevalent pathogens worldwide associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori in HCV infected patients and compares changes in liver function tests (LFTs) of both HCV mono-infected and HCV/H. pylori co-infected patients. Eighty-seven participants participated in this study who were first screened for HCV using GeneXpert technology followed by H. pylori antigen stool test. A complete blood count (CBC) analysis and LFTs were performed to determine the impact of HCV and H. pylori on liver enzymes. Our findings suggested that 45% of patients had HCV mono-infection, whereas 55% were co-infected with both HCV and H. pylori. Furthermore, we also observed that ALT, AST, and ALP levels were significantly elevated in HCV/H. pylori co-infected patients as compared to HCV mono-infected patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the prevalence of H. pylori in HCV infected subjects of Lahori population
Highlights
More than 10 million people of Pakistan are infected with HCV which is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality
HCV negative patients were excluded from the study, whereas HCV positive patients were further tested to detect the presence of H. pylori
The findings of our study showed that ALT, AST, and ALP levels were found to be significantly higher in HCV/H. pylori co-infected patients as compared to HCV mono-infected patients (Table 2)
Summary
More than 10 million people of Pakistan are infected with HCV which is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. HCV frequently leads to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Another common gastric disease inducing pathogen H. pylori is a bacterial pathogen in the developing world which is known as risk factor of liver diseases and it has been reported to induce hepatotoxicity. Several studies have shown the high prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). According to World Health Organization, H. pylori is a carcinogenic factor that may cause cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, and it disturbs normal liver function. Many observations suggest that H. pylori and HCV coinfection worsens liver inflammation, liver fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis [1, 2, 3]
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