Clinical Pathologic Screening for <i>Helicobacter pylori </i>in Outpatients<i> </i>Reveal Age-Specific Peaking with Concomitant Chronic-Gastric Inflammation, Robust Immunity, and Tissue Alterations Implying Potential Predisposition to Malignancy
Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Background/Objectives: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a significant global health issue causing chronic gastritis, peptic-ulcer, and gastric-malignancies. Unfortunately, many, particularly in the Middle East, continue to exhibit alarmingly rates of prevalence. This study aimed to elucidate local epidemiological patterns of H. pylori and examine its histopathological impact on the gastric mucosa. Methods: This retrospective-cross-sectional study included 805 symptomatic adults (329 males, 476 females) who underwent endoscopic evaluation at King Salman Hospital, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia. Biopsies from the antrum and body were processed using routine formalin-fixation and paraffin-embedding. Staining with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Giemsa permitted assessment of chronic gastritis and detection of H. pylori. Data was evaluated by IBM SPSS (version 23, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) for associations between infection, histopathology, and patient-characteristics. Results: A total of 727 (90.3%) were H. pylori positive with marginally higher rates in females (91.2%) than males (89.0%). Infection spanned all age-groups, reaching 100% in males aged 60–80 years. Chronic GI-complications were identified in 726 (99.9%), with chronic gastritis being the most profound histopathologically (19.3%). Lymphoid-aggregates in 93.0% biopsies, reflected a pronounced immune-response. Advanced lesions, including metaplasia (0.8%), atrophy (0.3%), and lymphoma (0.1%), were uncommon, though indicative of potential malignant-progression. Both sexes exhibited universal symptoms of gastritis, dyspepsia, and heartburn, whereas vomiting, nausea, and weight loss showed minor variability. No statistically significant gender-based differences emerged (p>0.05). Histopathology consistently revealed chronic active-gastritis with glandular-distortion, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, and occasional mucosal erosions. Giemsa staining further confirmed abundant spiral-shapes underscoring a high bacterial-load. Conclusion: These findings highlight the age-specific persistently elevating rates of H. pylori significantly associated to chronic-gastric-inflammatory complications. Although advanced gastric lesions remain rare, the potential for malignant transformation underscores the importance of early detection, timely eradication therapy, and vigilant follow-up to avert severe disease outcomes.