SEROPREVALENCE AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is the major pathogenic fact or for peptic ulcer disease, Its epidemiology is not fully known; few data are available in patients with chronic liver disease, Aims: To in vestigate the seroprevalence and factors associated with Helicobacter pylori infection in a series of liver cirrhosis patients, Methods: Two hundred and twenty consecutive patients were prospectively included i n a study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary intervention on cirr hosis complications and survival, At inclusion, an epidemiological and clinical questionnaire was completed, Sera were obtained and stored a t -70 degrees C until analyzed, They were tested for Helicobacter pylo ri antibodies using a commercial ELISA kit, Results: Eleven out of 220 patients had borderline anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG titers, Of the r emaining 209 patients, 105 (50.2%) showed positive titers of Helicobac ter pylori IgG. Univariate analysis showed that Helicobacter pylori in fection was more frequent in older patients, those born outside Catalo nia, and in patients with a low educational level, Past ethanol consum ption and current smoking correlated negatively with Helicobacter pylo ri infection, Multivariate analysis selected age (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.46- 6.45), educational level (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.18-4.2) and alcohol consump tion (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.45-0.99) as the variables independently related to Helicobacter pylori infection. Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori in fection in cirrhosis has the same epidemiological pattern as in the ge neral population, Suggestions that the etiology or the severity of the liver disease could be related to Helicobacter pylori infection mere not confirmed by our study.