HELICOBACTER PYLORI SEROLOGY AND EVALUATION OF GASTRODUODENAL DISEASE IN NIGERIANS WITH DYSPEPSIA

ABSTRACT

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been strongly associated with various gastroduodenal diseases worldwide with only a few studies emanating from developing countries. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of serum lmmunoglobulin G (1gG) and underlying gastroduodenal pathology in Nigerian patients with dyspepsia and ascertain the usefulness of H. pyleri lgG screening in decreasing endoscopic workload in dyspeptics in Nigeria. Fifty-five patients with dyspepsia and 55 age and sex-matched apparently normal control were screened for H. pylon' lgG using lmmunocombRll kits. Each of the 55 patients was also examined endoscopically with biopsies taken appropriately. Serology was positive in 94.5% andP92.7% of dyspeptic: patients and controls respectively. Gastroduodenal Inflammation was the commonest endoscopic finding, 43 (78.18%). Other findings were malignant gastric tumour 6(10.9%), refiux oesophagitis 3 (5.45%), gastric ulcer 2 (3.64%), and duodenal ulcer in 1. (1.82%). Chronic gastritis was the main histopathologic finding in the dyspeptic patients. It is concluded that serum H. pylori IgG cannot be used as a screening procedure to reduce endoscopic workload in Nigerian patients with dyspepsia.