Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori among Tunisian blood donors (outpatients), symptomatic patients and control subjects

Summary Objectives Helicobacter pylori is a worldwide infection, although little data are available in the Tunisian population. The aims of our study were to detect the prevalence of H. pylori in a blood-donor population ( n  = 250) and in another population of hospital-consulting patients comprising 87 symptomatic patients and 59 controls, and to determine the factors that influence the prevalence. Materials and methods Study subjects answered a standardized questionnaire, and IgG anti- H. pylori and anti- cag were detected by ELISA. In the second population, culture and cagA polymerase chain reaction were performed. Results The seroprevalence of H. pylori in blood donors was 64%, and 11% had anti- cag . All patients positive for anti- cag were also positive for anti- H. pylori antibodies. The seroprevalence of H. pylori was 99.3% in the hospital-consulting patients, of whom 55.5% were positive for anti- cag . The difference between the anti- cag and symptomatic patients (66.7%) and controls (39%) was significant. Symptomatic patients had a higher rate of anti- cag (66.7%) compared with the controls (39%) and blood donors (11%). Conclusion H. pylori seroprevalence in blood donors is low (64%) compared with symptomatic patients (99.3%), and anti- cag was statistically associated with symptomatic patients and pathology. Also, some environmental factors were correlated with H. pylori seroprevalence.