The Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Renal Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Background Helicobacter pylori (HP), a small gram-negative spiral bacillus living in the mucus layer of the human stomach, mediates some gastrointestinal disorders. Considering the immunocompromised nature of transplant recipients due to immunosuppression, they are generally prone to viral and bacterial infectious diseases. In this study we sought to investigate the seroprevalence of HP infection among Iranian kidney transplant recipients. Methods We selected randomly 91 kidney transplant patients who were examined for anti- HP Immunoglobulin G (IgG) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method (Lake Success, NY, USA). Results Forty-three subjects (47.3%) were seropositive for anti-HEV IgG. There was no difference by age ( P = .49), sex ( P = .22), blood transfusion history ( P = .19), or hemodialysis history ( P = .46) between seropositive and seronegative groups, but there was a significant difference regarding the educational status of the subjects ( P = .03), The difference was not confirmed by considering diploma as the cut point to categorize subjects ( P > .05). Comparing age groups, Pearson chi-square analysis revealed no significant correlation between HP seropositivity and increasing age ( P = .963), even when controlled for sex, educational status, history of blood transfusion, or hemodialysis. Conclusion The frequency of transplant recipients with anti-HP IgG antibodies in our institution (47.3%) was not higher than that in the general population (almost 60% in Urmia). This rate was lower than reports from developing countries possibly due to better health and sanitation.