First nationwide seroepidemiology and risk factors report of Helicobater pylori in Jordan

Abstract

Background and Aim Helicobacter pylori inhabits the gastric mucosa of humans and causes 89% of all gastric cancers. This is the first study of the seroprevalence, spatial distribution, and risk factors for H pylori in Jordan. Materials and Methods This is a cross‐sectional study of 460 healthy participants (aged between 15 and 81 years) proportionately sampled across each region of Jordan. Sera samples were tested for H pylori using Enzygnost® anti‐H pylori immunoglobulin G enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Participants completed a validated questionnaire about potential risk factors including food consumption habits and environmental and animal exposure. Multivariate generalized linear models identified risk factors for infection. Results The results showed a high seroprevalence (88.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 85.3‐91.2) of H pylori in the study population. After adjusting for possible confounders, age, consumption of raw milk, and location of residence were significantly associated with seropositivity. Older participants aged 30‐49 years had an 11% greater risk of seropositivity compared to participants aged 15‐29 years. Participants who consume raw milk and dairy products have a 9% decreased risk in seropositivity (prevalence ratio = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.84‐0.99) compared to those who do not consume these products. Conclusion This study reports a negative association between consumption of raw milk and seropositivity, and this is in line with several studies that report consumption of raw milk may be protective against H pylori. However, because of the risk of other serious pathogens associated with the consumption of raw dairy products, this study recommends pasteurization of raw milk. Future studies on the effect of fermented dairy products on H pylori colorization in gastric mucosa are recommended.

Declining prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Jordanian children, report from developing country

“…H. pylori infection was more common in children from families with a lower economic status, and the infection rate decreased with increased family income; however, it did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). This is consistent with a new report on the seroprevalence of H. pylori in Jordanian adults, in whom higher rates of positive infection were associated with lower income; these results also did not reach statistical significance [ 33 ].…”

“…It has been hypothesized that person-to-person spread as well as fecal-oral, oral-oral, and gastro-oral are the likely modes of transmission. In our study, the drinking water source was not associated with increased risk of infection with H. pylori, which was also reported by the recent nationwide seroprevalence study from Jordan [ 33 ]. These results likely reflect improvements in sanitation and wide accessibility to clean water [ 41 ].…”

“…In contrast, Ibrahim and colleagues [ 45 ] reported a male predominance. In addition to the two seroprevalence studies from Jordan [ 28 , 33 ], our study also showed male predominance, but this observation was not statistically significant.…”

“…A new nationwide study of H. pylori infection in healthy Jordanian adults by Obeidat and Roess [ 33 ] reported a seroprevalence of 89%. Despite this high rate, Jordan is considered a low-risk area for gastric cancer, with an age-standardized rate (ASR) of gastric malignancies at 3.9 per 100,000 population [ 34 ].…”

Loss of p53 expression in the gastric epithelial cells of Helicobacter pylori infected Jordanian patients

“…pylori infection remains highly prevalent in most developing countries due to socioeconomic status and hygienic conditions (15).The prevalence of H. pylori infection is 79.1%, 63.4%, and 54.7%in Africa, Latin America, and Asia respectively, while it has been reported around 37.1%in Northern America (3). In Jordan, the nationwide seroprevalence of H. pylori is around 88.6%in 2018 (16). Among Jordanian patients, the prevalence of H. pylori in gastritis and peptic ulcer, intestinal-type adenocarcinomas, and adenocarcinomas cases were 82%, 55.6%, and 48.8%, respectively (17,18).…”