Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among Egyptian children: impact of social background and effect on growth

Abstract

Objective: The study aim was to assess the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Egyptian schoolchildren and its effect on growth parameters. Design: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted among 286 schoolchildren (168 boys and 118 girls), with a mean age of 11.04 6 0.19 years, to determine the prevalence of H. pylori. The presence of the bacterium was assessed using the [ 13 C]urea breath test. Relevant personal and socio-economic data on risk factors for infection were collected. Height and weight were analysed in relation to H. pylori infection. Results: The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 72.38%. Attending school in a socially deprived area and residing in an overcrowded home were the major risk factors for infection. Differences between infected and non-infected children were significant with regard to body weight and height (weight: 39.5 6 1.0 vs. 44.6 6 1.8 kg, P 5 0.05; height: 139.9 6 1.3 vs. 144.2 6 2.1 cm; P 5 0.009). The number of children (both boys and girls) falling below the 5th percentile of height-for-age was significantly higher in infected than non-infected children (P 5 001), similarly for Z-scores for height-for-age below -2.0 (P 5 0.003). Conclusion:The results demonstrate not only that the prevalence of H. pylori infection is extremely high among Egyptian schoolchildren, but also that the adverse effects of the infection reach far beyond the stomach. Evidence of the burden of infection on growth failure is presented.

Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Related Gastric Pathologies in Moroccan Population

“…Similar result was observed in some developing countries, in Africa (e.g. South Africa: 87% [16], Egypt: 72% [17]), in Latin America (e.g. Bolivia: 78% [18]) and in some Asian countries (e.g.…”

Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

“…The present study showed that there was no significant difference in the prevalence of infection between boys and girls regarding total antibodies or infection with virulent strain of H. pylori (anti Cag A Ig G positive) in the diabetics. This result comes in agreement with Mahmoud et al [10], who revealed that no gender difference in H. pylori infection was found. On the other hand, another study confirmed the male predominance of H. pylori infection [11], while the study of Kanbay et al [12] stated that H. pylori infected females were predominant as compared to males.…”

Non-invasive detection of Helicobacter pylori virulence genotypes ureA, vacA, cagA and babA2 among asymptomatic Egyptian infants

“…Previous studies on Egyptian children with age ranging from 6 months to school age reported that H. pylori prevalence ranged from 15-75.38% (Bassily et al, 1999;Naficy et al, 2000;Mohammad et al, 2007). In most cases this was lower than findings of this study.…”