Study of serum levels of antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in patients of Islamshahr Health Center in Tehran

Background and Goals: Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative micro-aerophilic bacillus, with a global prevalence. The bacterium causes a wide range of gastrointestinal diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric cancer and MALT. Due to the importance of this bacterium in causing gastrointestinal disorders, this study was conducted to evaluate the serum levels of antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in clients of Islamshahr Health Center by ELISA. Materials and Method:In this cross-sectional study, the serum of 650 patients referred to Islamshahr Health Center who had clinical symptoms was collected. The IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies to Helicobacter pylori were then measured using the ELISA method. Findings: From all the samples performed (650 samples), the results were as follows: 47.08% (306) IgG, 14.62% (95) IgA, 4.62% (30) IgM. The highest IgG antibody frequency was observed in the age group of 46-60 years (65%). No significant association (P = 0.6) was observed between the mean titers of IgA, IgM and IgG antibodies with age. Conclusion:Due to the high percentage of positive titers of IgG and IgA antibodies against Helicobacter pylori, it is necessary to use codified educational and health programs to reduce the prevalence of this bacterium.