Low prevalence of H. pylori Infection in HIV-Positive Patients in the Northeast of Brazil

Abstract

Background: This study conducted in Northeastern Brazil, evaluated the prevalence of H. pylori infection and the presence of gastritis in HIV-infected patients.

Helicobacter pylori infection in HIV-positive patients with digestive complaints

“…Lower prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was noticed at CD4+ T-lymphocyte levels below 200cells/µL (5). Other studies depicted a reduction in the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection among severely immunosuppressed patients, with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (2,3,5,(10)(11)(12)(13).…”

“…Many HIV-infected patients have dyspeptic complaints and, though there is a recognized association between Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer among general population (1), the etiology of gastro-intestinal disorders varies greatly among HIV-positive subjects, ranging from opportunistic infections (2,3) to medication adverse effects (4).…”

“…Several studies disputed over the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among HIV-positive persons, reported to be either similar to (5,6) or lower than the prevalence of the same infection in the general population (2,7). Those depicting lower Helicobacter pylori infection rates among HIV-positive subjects incriminate the frequent use of antibiotics for opportunistic infections in severely immunocompromised patients, responsible for the accidental eradication of Helicobacter pylori (2).…”

“…Those depicting lower Helicobacter pylori infection rates among HIV-positive subjects incriminate the frequent use of antibiotics for opportunistic infections in severely immunocompromised patients, responsible for the accidental eradication of Helicobacter pylori (2). Besides, hypochlorhydria described in HIV-positive patients by several authors (8,9) may favor the development of various digestive opportunistic pathogens, competing with Helicobacter pylori for gastro-intestinal sites of infection (2).…”

“…Research examining the relationship between HIV-RNA plasma viral load (VL) and the presence of Helicobacter pylori has been rather poor, with reports of no statistically significant differences between HIV-RNA plasma VL among Helicobacter pylori positive and negative subjects (2).…”