Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with blood groups in patients presenting epi-gastric pain in Umaru Shehu ultra-modern hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative bacterium that causes peptic ulcer and is also involved in gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas. The objective of the present study was to determine seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori among patients complaining of epigastric pain at Umaru Shehu ultra-modern hospital Maiduguri, Nigeria. A rapid diagnostic cassette test kit for the qualitative detection of Helicobacter pylori was used in this study. A random sampling technique was used to collect blood samples and obtain other demographic variables that include sex, age and blood group which are considered as risk factors for contracting Helicobacter pylori. Out of the 50 patients tested, 45 (90.0%) were positive. The positive patients comprised 10 out of 12 males (83.3%) and 35 out of 38 females (92.1%). Patients within the age groups 10-20, 31-40 and >50 years had a prevalence of 100% each, while patients between 21-30 years and those 41-50 years had a prevalence of 88.9% and 62.5% respectively. When their blood groups were considered, the AB group had a prevalence of 100% followed by the A group (95%) while the O and B groups had 90.5% and 75%, respectively. Patients complaining of epigastric pain should be screened for Helicobacter pylori, particularly in early cases and among people living in clusters or under inadequate sanitary conditions, such as internally displaced persons.