Prevalence of seropositividad to antibodies IgG and IgM against Helicobacter pylori in the medical residents of the University Hospital of Puebla

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative, curved, microaerophilic, oxidase, catalase and urease positive bacillus. It lives in the gastric mucosa, and is the main etiological agent of peptic ulcer, and of atrophic and multifocal gastritis. It is associated with extraintestinal, vascular, autoimmune and cutaneous diseases. The infection by this bacteria causes a chronic inflammatory process related with the sensibilization of mast cells, which increases the incidence of allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the seropositivity prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in medical resident personnel. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A transversal, descriptive and observational study was carried out in medical residents of the Hospital Universitario de Puebla. Serum levels of IgG and IgM antibodies against Helicobacter pylori were determined by chemiluminescence. Data were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, such as: frequency, central tendency and dispersion measures. RESULTS: 57 residents were included, 54.4% were men. The mean age was 28.4 (SD 2.9). Seropositivity prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies was 24.6 and 33.3%, respectively. Combined seropositivity prevalence of IgG and IgM was of 43.9%. CONCLUSION: Seropositivity prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in the medical resident personnel of the Hospital Universitario de Puebla was similar to the reported in the general population. This estimation might be considered a reference to other epidemiological and clinical studies such as those pretending to evaluate and demonstrate the relationship between infection by Helicobacter pylori and other entities, even allergies.