Detection of Helicobacter pylori from Gastric Biopsy Samples by Culture, Polymerase Chain Reaction and Histopathological Methods in Eastern Turkey

The aims of this study were to detect Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histopathological methods, to determine the prevalence of active H. pylori infection in Elazig Province, East of Turkey and to evaluate the relationship between H. pylori infection and sex. Antrum and corpus samples of 184 Turkish patients (85 male and 99 female, age range 17 to 92 years, average 49) with gastrointestinal complaints attending the Gastroenterology Department of Firat University Hospital during 2009 and 2010 wereused in this study and examined for the presence of H.pylori using culture, PCR and histopathological examination. Patients were grouped as gastritis (G) in 155 cases, peptic ulcer (PU) in 26 cases, gastric cancer (GC) in 3 cases at the time of endoscopy. H. pylori  was isolated in 61 (33.2%) samples. By PCR, H. pylori was detected in 140 (76.1%) patients, 115 (74.2%) cases with G, 23 (88.5%) cases with PU and 2 (66.7%) cases with GC. Fifteen of 155 patients with G were excluded from the histopathological evaluation due to inadequate material given. Histopathological examination of 140 patients with G was detected to be H. pylori positive in 96 (68.6%). The prevalence of H. pylori was found to equal in male and female patients (50%) by using PCR. The prevalence of H. pylori in patients with PU and GC was found to be higher in men (60.9% and 100%, respectively) than in women (39.1% and 0%, respectively). However, the prevalence of H. pylori in patients with G was found to be higher in women (53%) than in men (47%). Our results exhibited that there was no significant difference between sex and H. pylori-positive patient groups (p>0.05).