Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in hepatitis C virus positive patients with cirrhosis

Background/Aims: Liver cirrhosis is a significant cause of death in Italy and one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization. Acute peptic ulcer and upper gastrointestinal bleeding reportedly occur in over one-third of cirrhotic patients. Since Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection strongly correlates with peptic ulcer, we sought to ascertain the prevalence of H. pylori infection in cirrhotic patients. Methods: In a case-control study, we examined 254 consecutive patients (127 male and 127 female, age range 30-82 years) suffering from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis and 463 sex- and age-matched patients admitted to the Department of Emergency Care of our hospital (254 male, 209 female, age range 30-79 years) resident in the same area. Results: Antibodies to H. pylori were present in 226/ 254 (89%) cirrhotic patients and in 275/463 (59%) controls (p<0.0001). The difference was significant both in males and in females. Conclusions: The very high prevalence of H. pylori infection may explain the frequent occurrence of gastroduodenal ulcer in cirrhotic patients and may possibly determine the prognosis of those who are also infected with HCV.