Association between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Iron Deficiency in Sudanese Population

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection is a major gastric infection worldwide and has been associated with many gastrointestinal and non gastrointestinal diseases including hematological disorders. This case control study was conducted in Sudan-Khartoum in the period from May 2018 to April 2019 and it was aimed to study the association between H. pylori infection and iron deficiency among Sudanese population. For this study stool and blood samples were collected from 100 Sudanese subjects (50 were infected with H. pylori as cases and 50 were apparently healthy subjects as controls). Stool samples were tested for H. pylori Ag by commercially available kits (HanzouAllTest Biotech Co., Ltd, Germany), All blood samples were analyzed for complete blood count using (SYSMEX KX21N) automated analyzer and serum iron profile (iron, ferritin, and TIBC) using spectrophotometery and turbidimetry. The results of H. pylori antigen were positive in all cases and negative in control samples. Serum iron level mean was significantly lower among H. pylori positive patient (62±18.1) than control group (91.3±16.7) (p-value 0.001), serum ferritin level mean was significantly lower in H.pylori infected patients (36.8±16.5) than control group (64±16.4) (p-value 0.003), hemoglobin level mean was significantly lower in H. pylori patients (12.5 ±1.1) than control group (13.8±1.0) (p-value 0.009), PCV level mean was lower in H. pylori patients (37.6±3.1) than control group (41±3.0) (p-value .036), TIBC mean was 313 in cases and 308 in control samples. All other parameters showed no significant difference between H. pylori positive patients and control subjects. This study concluded that H. pylori infection is associated with iron deficiency in Sudanese patients.