Increased protein carbonylation and decreased antioxidant status in anemic H. pylori infected patients: effect of treatment

Collective evidences suggest the causal association of Helicobacter pylori infection with iron deficiency anemia. Generation of free radicals against this bacterium can lead to turbulence in oxidative-antioxidative system. This study was undertaken to evaluate the marker of oxidative protein injury, protein carbonylation, and total antioxidant status in anemic H. pylori-infected patients and to observe the alteration in them after treatment for 1 month with oral ferrous sulfate and anti-H. pylori therapy. Twenty anemic H. pylori-infected patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. The H. pylori-infected patients in Group I received both iron supplementation and anti-H pylori therapy, whereas patients in Group II received only the iron supplementation. Fifteen healthy volunteers served as controls. All the study parameters were estimated after 1 month of the treatment. Protein carbonylation and total antioxidant status were estimated using colorimetric method. Hematologic parameters were evaluated using Sysmex-K-100 automated cell counter. In anemic H. pylori-infected patients, the protein carbonyls [PCOs] were significantly increased, whereas the total antioxidant status, iron, hemoglobin, and ferritin levels were significantly decreased compared with the controls. In Group I, while the PCOs level decreased significantly, there was a significant increase in the total antioxidant status, iron, hemoglobin, and ferritin levels after 1 month. No significant alterations were noted in the levels of PCOs, total antioxidant status, iron, hemoglobin, or ferritin in Group II patients after 1 month of the treatment. The findings from this study indicate that treatment for both anemia and H. pylori infections is required for lowering the oxidative stress markers, which synergistically bring about an appropriate correction of anemia soon in these patients

Correlates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related knowledge among HIV infected people.

Background: The current adult prevalence of HIV in India is 0.34%. HIV infected persons should have adequate knowledge about the modes of transmission of infection. This is essential for reducing the risk of secondary infection, preventing coinfection from other viruses such as hepatitis B and for protecting the uninfected. Identification of the correlates of poor knowledge among HIV positive subjects will aid in planning effective measures to improve their health knowledge about HIV. Aims: To explore HIV related knowledge among HIV positive subjects and to determine the correlates of their knowledge. Methods: The study was conducted between November 2005 and May 2007. Two hundred HIV positive subjects attending a tertiary care hospital and three non-governmental organizations in Puducherry, South India, were recruited for the study. They were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire regarding their knowledge about HIV and were divided into those with HIV knowledge score >90% and those with score ≤90%. The data were analyzed using Chi-square test and logistic regression. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were also calculated. Results: The median knowledge score was 90%. Knowledge on the modes of HIV transmission was better than that on the modes by which it does not spread. Subjects who had received counseling (OR: 16.78), studied above class 10 (OR: 4.13), and those with duration of more than 1 year since diagnosis (OR: 3.12) had better HIV knowledge score (>90%). Persons counseled by HIV positive peers had a better knowledge. Conclusion: This study revealed the importance of counseling in improving the HIV related knowledge among HIV positive individuals. It also highlights the beneficial effect of peer counseling.