Comparison of The Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis Versus Normal Egyptian population

Abstract

I bowel diseases (IBDs), which includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic, relapsing-remitting diseases that constitute a growing worldwide health burden H. pylori is a gram-negative, spiral-shaped pathogenic bacterium that causes chronic gastritis. Peptic ulcer disease and/or gastric malignancies may develop in a small number of individuals infected with the bacterium. The inflammatory response of the gastric mucosa to H. pylori most likely reflects the combined effects of a cellular immune response that is driven by an on-going stimulation of the host’s immune system by the bacterium. This results in high production of interleukin (IL)-12, leading to a T helper type 1 (Th1)-polarized response and elevated levels of Th1 cytokines. This has led to the hypothesis that H. pylori infection may exert a protective role against IBD. However one can argue that it is the medication used to treat IBD that eradicates H. pylori and /or the IBD associated mucosal alterations that may prevent colonization of the stomach by H. pylori. The latter may be true, especially in IBD patients with focally enhanced gastritis (FEG) who have a particularly low incidence of H. pylori infection, even if they live in H. pylori endemic areas.