Clinical manifestation of Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with gastric adenocarcinoma in gastritis patients in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Background and objective: Helicobacter pylori can be regarded as one of the most common causes of chronic gastritis, which affects more than half of the world’s population. This study aimed to assess the presence of H. pylori in patients with gastritis and its association with gastric inflammation and adenocarcinoma. Methods: The presence of H. pylori was detected by rapid urease test and histopathological tests using biopsy specimens. Data were analyzed using the GraphPad Software Statistical Package. Results: The mean age of patients ± SD was 47.41 ± 18.13 years. The age range was 13 to 90 years. Results showed a significant association between the intensity of H. pylori and inflammation (P = 0.001). The more the intensity of H. pylori, the more severe the inflammation was noticed. Patients with high intensity of H. pylori had positive lymphoid aggregates. The H. pylori positive for the rapid urease test and the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining test were 95.2% and 96.3%, respectively. H. pylori infection was detected in more than 85% of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Histopathology and rapid urease tests are reliable diagnostic tools for detecting H. pylori. Results revealed a significant association of chronic active gastritis, mucosal lymphoid follicle formation, and adenocarcinoma with H. pylori infection. Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; Histopathology; Gastric adenocarcinoma; Gastritis.