Serum iron level; patients with Helicobacter pylori infection

ABSTRACT

To determine the serum iron level in Helicobacter pylori infected patients. This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at Liaquat University Hospital [a tertiary care teaching hospital] Hyderabad from July 2013 to December 2013. All the patients with history of presented with acute abdominal pain, dyspepsia, bloating and epigastric discomfort were evaluated for Helicobacter pylori infection by serology. Thereafter the Helicobacter pylori positive individuals were further evaluated for serum iron level. The data was collected, saved and analyzed in SPSS version 11.00. During six month study period total one hundred patients of H. pylori infection was recruited, of which sixty three [63%] were males and thirty seven were females. Sixty six [66%] patients belonged to urban areas while thirty four [34%] were rural population. The mean age +/- SD for overall population was 37.35 +/- 14.0 where as the mean age +/- SD of male and female population was 38.88 +/- 6.77 and 35.67 +/- 8.87 respectively. The serum iron was low in 68% Helicobacter pylori infected patients, of which 48 were males and 20 were females [p=0.02]. The overall mean +/- SD for serum iron level in study population was 49.17 +/- 37.86 mmol/L whereas the mean +/- SD of serum iron for male and female Helicobacter pylori infected population was 42.69 +/- 34.15 and 60.18 +/- 41.66 [p=0.03]. An association was identified between Helicobacter pylori and iron deficiency