ABSTRACT
Background: The seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori IgA antibodies has been reported to vary among populations and in relation to strains of Helicobacter pylori bacterium. However; there has been conflicting reports on the association between IgA serological status and the histological variables of chronic gastritis. This study was therefore conducted to clarify this relationship. Method : Using an ELISA based commercial kit; anti-H. pylori IgA antibody tests were performed on 65 dyspeptic patients and 65 age- and ex-matched controls. The gastric biopsies of these patients were also examined histologically for the degrees of inflammation; activity; intestinal metaplasia and atrophy. The CagA status of the patients had been determined previously. Results: There was an anti-H. pylori IgA antibody prevalence of 67.7in dyspeptics and 56.9in non-dyspeptic individuals. No correlations were observed between serum H. pylori IgA antibody and the graded parameters of chronic gastritis in dyspeptic patients; although twice more patients with mild gastric inflammation were found among IgA positive than among IgA negative patients. However; a statistically significant relationship was established between serum IgA positivity and the CagA status of the patients (p = 0.028). Conclusion: The seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori IgA antibody is high in our environment. Serum IgA status may be associated with milder degrees of gastritis in our patients but a larger cohort of patients is needed to confirm this. There seems to be a good agreement between serum IgA and CagA statuses among dyspeptic patients
Subject(s)
Gastritis , Helicobacter pylori , Immunoglobulin AABSTRACT
Objective: To determine markers of HBV infection and detect the presence of its occult infection in serum of a cohort of adult Nigerians. Methodology: The study involved 28 adult Nigerians with viral hepatitis (Group 1) and 28 apparently healthy adult Nigerians as controls (Group 2). Their sera were assayed for HBsAg; HBeAg; anti-HBe; anti-HBc; anti-HBs; and anti-HCV; while HBV DNA was determined in 15 patients with chronic hepatitis. Significance of differences between the patients and control subjects was assessed using Chi-square test at a 95confidence level. Results: Sero-detection of HBsAg; HBeAg; anti-HBe and anti-HBc was higher among the patients compared to the controls. HBV infection was diagnosed by HBsAg (89) and a duo of HBsAg and anti-HBc (100) among the patients. Similarly; eleven and four types of different patterns of HBV markers were observed among the respective groups. Anti-HBe (9.5); anti-HBc (14.3); and anti-HBs (9.5) were detected among all the subjects who were sero-negative for HBsAg. HBV DNA was also detected in 86.7of the 15 patients with chronic hepatitis; while occult HBV infection was observed in 7.2of the patients and none (0) of the controls; p 0.05. Furthermore; HCV infection occurred among subjects with all the different patterns of HBV markers; except those with occult HBV infection and natural immunity to HBV. Conclusion: This study shows that occult HBV infection is present among Nigerian adults and determination of HBsAg; anti-HBc; anti-HBe; and HBV DNA will assist in its detection