Role of concurrent helicobacter pylori infection to hepatitis C virus in Egyptian patients with liver cirrhosis

Chronic hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is a leading cause of end-stage liver disease worldwide. It has been shown that helicobacter pylori [H. pylori] plays an important role in chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric malignancies and its eradication has been advocated. The association between H. pylori infection and cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis C virus was documented in different parts of the world, nevertheless, no conclusive data is available in Egypt In the present study, the status of helicobacter pylori infection was sought in 90 patients with chronic HCV and in 66 HCV free healthy controls. The results showed that the H. pylori positivity was increased significantly [P = 0.03] in the HCV infected patients than of healthy controls where H. pylori infection was found in 50 out of 90 [55.6%] of HCV infected patients versus 26 out of 66 [39.4%] of healthy controls. In HCV infected patients, the incidence of H. pylori infection was increased significantly [P = 0.04] from chronic active hepatitis to cirrhosis. H. pylori was present in 6/18 [33.3%], 10/21[47.6%], 16/27 [59.3%], 18/24 [75.0%] in chronic active hepatitis, Child A, Child B, and Child C respectively. More importantly, the incidence of H. pylori infection in HCV infected patients was increased very significantly [P = 0.003] with increasing of Meld score. The prevalence of H. pylori was documented in 9/28 [32.1%] in patients with Meld score . In conclusion, our results collectively reflect a remarkable increasing of H. pylori prevalence with advancing the hepatic lesions and the eradication treatment may prove beneficial in those patients with chronic hepatitis C