It is well known that blood group antigens are related to the development of peptic ulcer and gastric carcinoma. This study sought to determine the relationship between H. pylori and ABO/Rhesus blood groups, age, gender, and smoking. Patients (335 women and 205 men; mean age, 51.68 +/- 15.0 years; range, 18-85 years) who attended our outpatient clinic were enrolled in the study. All patients were randomly selected in each age group. Demographic data recorded for each patient included age, gender, and tobacco use. Blood samples were tested for H. pylori antibodies, and ABO/Rhesus blood group antigen typing was performed. Serum antibodies were tested against H. pylori infection. Prevalences of all blood groups were O (29.2%), A (38.2%), B (17.8%), and AB (14.8%). As expected from previous studies, we found that seropositivity for H. pylori increased with age. H. pylori Ig G antibody positivity was detected in 185 of 335 women (60.6%), compared with 88 of 205 men (42.9%), a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). H. pylori Ig G antibody positivity was detected in 206 of 379 nonsmokers (54.3%) compared with 67 of 161 smokers (41.6%), a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). Patients in blood groups A and O were more prone to H. pylori infection than were patients in other blood groups (P < 0.05), and patients in the AB blood group were less prone to H. pylori infection compared with patients in other blood groups (P < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrate that H. pylori infection can be related to ABO blood group, age, gender, and smoking.
Our rates of eradication were significantly lower when compared to those reported in literature. We believe that advanced age and high H pylori density are negative predictive factors for the rate of H pylori eradication.
It is still unclear whether Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with risk factors for coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether eradication of H. pylori infection affects serum lipid levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Seventy-eight patients who had H. pylori antigen positivity in their stools were enrolled. Clarithromycin, 1 g/day, amoxicillin, 2 g/day, and omeprazole, 40 mg/day, were given for 14 days. Serum total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), and CRP were measured at baseline and 8 weeks after therapy. According to H. pylori stool antigen study after 8 weeks, individuals in whom H. pylori was eradicated were recruited as group A and those in whom H. pylori was not eradicated formed group B. Group A comprised 57 patients, and group B 21 patients. Patients in group A comprised 32 women and 25 men and their ages ranged from 35 to 59 years. Patients in group B included 13 women and 8 men, aged 32-61 years. No significant difference in LDL, TC, or TG serum levels were found between group A and group B. Although CRP and HDL serum levels were found to be the same before and after treatment in group B, CRP levels were found to decrease and HDL levels to increase significantly in group A (P < 0.05). We conclude that H. pylori infection may affect lipid metabolism in a way that could increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Thus H. pylori infection is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease.
Hepatitis B (HBV) infections continue to occur in adult hemodialysis units. Occult HBV infection (serum hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] negative but HBV DNA positive) may be a contributing factor in these patients. This study was designed to (1) investigate the prevalence of occult HBV infection in hemodialysis patients and (2) compare the prevalence of occult HBV infection among hepatitis C (HCV)-positive and HCV-negative hemodialysis patients. The study included 138 patients on chronic hemodialysis. Eighty-four patients were HCV positive and 54 were HCV negative. HBV DNA testing was performed by polymerase chain reaction. We also recorded general characteristics of the patients, duration of hemodialysis, and serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels. Twenty-one (15.2%) of the 138 hemodialysis patients were HBV DNA positive. Nine (16.6%) of the 54 anti-HCV antibody negative hemodialysis patients were HBV DNA positive. Twelve (14.2%) of the 84 anti-HCV antibody positive patients were HBV DNA positive. The prevalence in anti-HCV Ab positive and negative hemodialysis patients were same (P > .05). Hemodialysis duration, demographic features, and biochemical parameters were not significantly different in patients with and without occult HBV infection in both HCV-positive and -negative hemodialysis patients (P > .05). HCV positivity is not a contributing factor to occult HBV infection in hemodialysis patients. None of the parameters tested help to distinguish patients with occult HBV infection from those who are HBV DNA negative.
Eradication of H pylori decreases serum homocysteine even in patients who do not exhibit gastric mucosal atrophy. It appears that the level of homocysteine in serum is related to a complex interaction among serum vitamin B(12), serum folate and erythrocyte folate levels.
These data suggest that optimal bowel cleansing is poorer in diabetics with autonomous neuropathy than in those without autonomous neuropathy and controls.
Forty-eight hepatitis B virus (HBV) E antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B patients received pegylated interferon alfa-2b either alone or with lamivudine for 48 weeks and were followed for an additional 24 weeks. At the end of follow-up, virological response rates (HBV DNA levels of <400 copies/ml) were similar in the monotherapy (24%) and combination therapy (26%) groups.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of types of dialysis treatments on hepatitis C virus infection and the epidemiologic properties of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection at three Baskent University hospitals, in Ankara, Adana, and Izmir, Turkey, in 655, 326, and 118 patients with end-stage renal disease, respectively. One hundred thirty patients with HCV viremia among 271 patients with end-stage renal disease seropositive for HCV were included in this cross-sectional study. HCV RNA-positive patients were classified according to the renal replacement therapies (hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis), and viral load, transaminase levels, and distribution of genotypes were compared between these subgroups. In the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis group, 26 of 165 patients (16%) were serum anti-HCV positive, and 11 of 26 patients (42%) were serum HCV RNA positive. Twenty-six percent of the patients undergoing hemodialysis were anti-HCV positive, and 49% were HCV RNA positive. The prevalence of genotype 1b was 68% and 73% for patients in the continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis groups, respectively. No significant differences were found between the genotype 1b and the non-1b groups or between different dialysis types with regard to age and sex and serum aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, and HCV RNA levels. We conclude that HCV seropositivity may differ between different types of dialysis treatments, although viral load and genotypes may be similar in persons with end-stage renal disease and those without.
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