AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ABOUT HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION PREVALENCE IN PATIENTS OF BETA THALASEMIA MAJOR WITH RECURRENT ABDOMINAL PAIN

Objective: To determine Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and seroprevalence prevalence in patients of beta thalassemia major (TM) and to compare patients with controls ß TM and recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). Study Design: An Observational study. Place and Duration: In the Hematology and Gastroenterology Department of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore for one year period from June 2016 to June 2017. Methodology: A total of RAP and 62 TM with healthy controls of number 41 were selected for study. Using an HPIgG ELISA for anti-HP antibodies examination Serum samples were taken. Urea breath test was performed using 14C positive HPIgG disease. HPGG (+) was noted in 36 (58.1%) of the patients and in 20 of the healthy children (48.8%). Findings: There was no major variation between control groups and TM for HPIgG frequency (p = 0.349). urea breath test with Urea TM (49.04%) and 17 healthy children (39%) breath test with urea TM and healthy children HPIgG (+) urea breath test with urine applied to test (p = 0.34) test, ALT, epigastric pain, paraumblical pain, splenectomy and age level were statistically significant (p = 0.03, p = 0.02, p = 0.01 and p = 0). Conclusion: In our developing country Helicobacter pylori may be the most common cause of RAP in healthy children and Thalassemia major patients. Key words: Thalassemia major, H. pylori, recurrent abdominal pain