Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in hepatitis C virus positive patients with cirrhosis

Background/Aims: Liver cirrhosis is a significant cause of death in Italy a nd one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization. Acute peptic ulcer a nd upper gastrointestinal bleeding reportedly occur in over one-third of ci rrhotic patients. Since Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection strongly correlates with peptic ulcer, we sought to ascertain the prevalence of H. p ylori infection in cirrhotic patients. Methods: In a case-control study, we examined 254 consecutive patients (127 male and 127 female, age range 30-82 years) suffering from hepatitis C vir us (HCV)-related cirrhosis and 463 sex- and age-matched patients admitted t o the Department of Emergency Care of our hospital (254 male, 209 female, a ge range 30-79 years) resident in the same area. Results: Antibodies to H. pylori were present in 226/ 254 (89%) cirrhotic p atients and in 275/463 (59%) controls (p<0.0001). The difference was signif icant both in males and in females. Conclusions: The very high prevalence of H. pylori infection may explain th e frequent occurrence of gastroduodenal ulcer in cirrhotic patients and may possibly determine the prognosis of those who are also infected with HCV.