Helicobacter pylori infection: relation to protein losing enteropathy in malnutrition

ABSTRACT

This work was carried out to study the prevalence of Helicobacter pylon [H-P] infection in malnourished children and to prove the association -if any- between H-P infection and protein losing enteropathy [PLE] in these children. Stool samples of 100 children ranging in age from 3 to 24 months were studied. Those children included 40 under weight children, 40 marasmic children and 20 age and sex matched well nourished children as a control group. Stools from malnourished and control children were tested for H-P antigen and focal concentration of alpha 1- antitrypsin [FA-AT] using ELISA technique. Measurement of both parameters was repeated in H-P positive children 2 weeks after eradication therapy of H-P infection. The results proved that the prevalence of H-P infection amounted to 53% of malnourished children compared to 20% of control group. The mean values of FA-AT were significantly higher in malnourished children with positive H-P infection than those with negative infection [P <0.0001]. Following the eradication therapy of H-P infection, the mean values of FA-AT showed a significant decrease [P < 0.0001]. However, these values were still higher than those of the control group [P <0.0001]. H-P infection is an important co-factor in the etiology of some aspects of protein energy malnutrition [PEM]. H-P infection plays also a leading role in the pathogenesis of PLE and its therapeutic eradication can reverse some of these findings: