Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori in a population of 15 to 35 years old in Mashhad

Mahdieh  Khoshakhlagh; Mohammadreza  Tarahomi; Arghavan  Kamali; Fatemeh  Asgharian; Safoora Sa'd  Abadi; Kimia  Jafarpour; Samaneh  Abolbashari; Mojtaba  Meshkat; Aida  Gholoobi

doi:10.18502/ijm.v16i6.17255

Mahdieh Khoshakhlagh Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mohammadreza Tarahomi Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Arghavan Kamali Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Fatemeh Asgharian Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Safoora Sa'd Abadi Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Kimia Jafarpour Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Samaneh Abolbashari Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mojtaba Meshkat Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
Aida Gholoobi Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v16i6.17255

Keywords: Prevalence; Seroepidemiologic studies; Helicobacter pylori; Iran; Young adult

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium involved in gastrointestinal disorders with a high prevalence in Iran. We have determined the seroprevalence of H. pylori in the young adult population of Mashhad city for the first time.

Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study on 933 individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 in Mash- had. The serum level of IgG, IgM, and IgA H. pylori antibodies was determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.

Results: The average age of the participants including 290 (31.0%) male and 643 (68.9%) female cases was 25.47 ± 5.76. H. pylori IgG was seropositive in 365 (39.1%) of subjects. Occupation (p=0.002), body mass index (p=0.002), marital status (p<0.0001), and age (p<0.007) were meaningfully related to H. pylori IgG seropositivity. Other factors such as sex, educa- tional attainment, history of chronic diseases, and smoking cigarette had no significant relationship with the presence of H. pylori antibodies.

Conclusion: The seroprevalence of H. pylori IgG antibodies in Mashhad's 15 to 35 years old citizens was determined 39.1%. We suggest further studies with larger sample sizes and different age groups as the target population.