Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Military Personnel from Northeast China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection is an important cause of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Current knowledge regarding epidemiology of H. pylori infection in military personnel has insufficiently been updated. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in military personnel and to compare the prevalences in military and civilian groups. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled the subjects who underwent 14 C-urea breath tests at the Department of Gastroenterology of the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command between January 2017 and July 2020. Subjects were divided into military and civilian groups. H. pylori infection and major endoscopic findings were reviewed. Results: Overall, 23,496 subjects were eligible, including 2282 subjects in the military group and 21,214 subjects in the civilian group. In the overall analysis, the prevalence of H. pylori infection was not significantly different between military and civilian groups (33.9% versus 34.4%, P=0.592). In the population aged 17-25 years, the prevalence of H. pylori infection was significantly higher in the military group than in the civilian group (35.6% versus 25.9%, P=0.001). Both 14 C-UBT and endoscopy were performed in 547 inpatients, including 83 military inpatients and 464 civilian inpatients. There was a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori in inpatients with peptic ulcer and/or gastric cancer than in those without (65.5% versus 41.4%, P=0.001). Conclusion: Among the adolescent population, H. pylori infection may be more common in military personnel as compared to the civilians. Well-designed prospective studies should be required to validate such a high prevalence and to explain its potential causes.

Relationship of Helicobacter pylori Infection with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis

“…Our previous study found a higher rate of H. pylori infection in young military personnel than in civilians [ 82 ]. This phenomenon is probably explained by the fact that increased mental stress caused by high-intensity military training suppresses the body's humoral and cellular immunity, thereby increasing the risk of H. pylori infection.…”

Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and their association with psychological problems in youths

“…Gastrointestinal symptoms in recruits may be related to an increase in segmental gastrointestinal permeability during combat training (30). Military soldiers aged 17 to 25 years old need to go through numerous high-intensity training, and have a higher prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection than civilians of the same age (31), which may cause gastrointestinal symptoms (32).…”