Low prevalence of H. pylori infection in HIV-positive patients in the northeast of Brazil
Fialho, A.éa.B.C.; Braga-Neto, M.B.; Guerra, E.J.C.; Fialho, A.é M.N.; Fernandes, K.C.; Sun, J.L.M.; Takeda, C.F.V.; Silva, C.íc.I.S.; Queiroz, D.M.M.; Braga, L.L.B.C.
Bmc Gastroenterology 11: 13
2011
ISSN/ISBN: 1471-230X PMID: 21333017 DOI: 10.1186/1471-230x-11-13Document Number: 221607
This study conducted in Northeastern Brazil, evaluated the prevalence of H. pylori infection and the presence of gastritis in HIV-infected patients. There were included 113 HIV-positive and 141 age-matched HIV-negative patients, who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms. H. pylori status was evaluated by urease test and histology. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in HIV-infected (37.2%) than in uninfected (75.2%) patients. There were no significant differences between H. pylori status and gender, age, HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy and the use of antibiotics. A lower prevalence of H. pylori was observed among patients with T CD4 cell count below 200/mm3; however, it was not significant. Chronic active antral gastritis was observed in 87.6% of the HIV-infected patients and in 780.4% of the control group (p = 0.11). H. pylori infection was significantly associated with chronic active gastritis in the antrum in both groups, but it was not associated with corpus chronic active gastritis in the HIV-infected patients. We demonstrated that the prevalence of H. pylori was significantly lower in HIV-positive patients compared with HIV-negative ones. However, corpus gastritis was frequently observed in the HIV-positive patients, pointing to different mechanisms than H. pylori infection in the genesis of the lesion.