Iron deficiency in Helicobacter pylori infected patients in Baghdad

Objectives: Recent studies have suggested an association of Helicobacter pylori and iron deficiency (ID). Materials and methods: To examine an association between H.pylori infection and ID, blood sampling and a data collection survey were performed in 78 H.pylori infected patients and 22 healthy subjects as control. Serum ferritin and iron were measured by ELISA and direct enzymatic method techniques respectively. Results: The result showed that 24 of the patients (30.7%) have serum ferritin and iron concentrations below the normal range indicating iron deficiency, with no significantly difference between women and men. ID was more pronounced in patients with stomach ulcer (58.3%) than those without stomach ulcer (41.7%) respectively. Conclusions: The conclusion was that H.pylori infection might have a role in iron deficiency and subsequently iron de ficiency anemia. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2011; 1(3):114-117