The gastric barrier, an important host defense
against small bowel infection, may be compromised by infection with Helicobacter
pylori. Warren and Marshall, in 1983, successfully cultured a
corkscrew-shaped, microaerophilic gram-negative bacterium from the human
gastric mucosa, termed as Helicobacter
pylori. H. pylori infection is
causally associated with chronic antral gastritis, duodenal ulcer, gastric
ulcer and gastric cancer. H. pylori seroprevalence is
generally significant higher in adults in developing countries (70-90%) compared with developed
countries (30-50%).
Bacillary dysentery caused by Shigella species is a public health problem in developing countries
including Bangladesh. Among the four species, S. flexneri though less virulent but still frequently causes sever
dysentery and its complication. Before 1971, S.
flexneri was predominant species and after
liberation war S.
dysenteriae maintained
its dominance till the
comeback of S.
flexneri in 1978. Though
four species of Shigella
are endemic in Bangladesh, recent study revealed that Shigella
flexneri infection accounts for the majority of
Shigella
related deaths.
The key aims of the present study were to evaluate
the seroprevalance of H. pylori
and S. flexneri infection among the Bangladeshi population and to assess
whether there is association between various risk factors.
Serum samples (n=400) were collected from Dhaka
University, Ad-Din Hospital and Dhaka Medical college hospital, and from
this 376 serum samples were employed to detect the presence of H. pylori and S. flexneri
specific antibody by non-invasive, low cost, rapid less laborious In-House
ELISA method. Optical density (O.D.) values found ³1 were considered as seropositive and <1
were considered as seronegative. The background information obtained from
the study population by questionnaire was analyzed statistically with
computer program SPSS. Over all 79% of the total study population were
seropositive for H.
pylori infection and 79.3% were positive for S. flexneri infection. A lack of association was found between the
seroprevalence of H. pylori, S.
flexneri and sex, blood group, diarrhea and abdominal pain (present
symptom or past symptom within one year). Seroprevalence of
H. pylori has been found
related significantly with age group (p= 0.023) which increase with
increasing age, occupation (p=0.001), present acidity (p=0.014), long
history of acidity (p=0.009) and pregnancy (p=0.035). Seroprevalence of S. flexneri has been found significant associated with occupation
(p=0.004). Seroprevalence of S.
flexneri infection not found significantly related with study population
having acidity. No significant association was observed in H.
pylori infection and the development of S.
flexneri infection. By odds ratio (OR) analysis it was found that
occupation (OR=2.208), present acidity (OR=1.203) and long history acidity
(OR=2.364) and pregnancy (OR=2.228) be the potential risk factors of
developing of H. pylori infection.
It may be concluded from the present study that H.
pylori and S. flexneri infection is widespread among the Bangladeshi population
and their prevalence may be associated with various socioeconomic and health
related factors.
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Abstract