Abstract

GUTIERREZ, Beatriz; VIDAL, Teresita; VALMANA, Carlos  and  CAMOU, Christine. Infection caused by Helicobacter pylori in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2006, vol.25, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3011.

The seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was determined in a group of 100 patients undergoing a digestive tract endoscopy in a hospital of Santo Domingo city. The information related to age, sex, race and clinical symptoms was gathered. The Pyloriset EIA-IIIG from Orion Diagnostic (Finland) was used in the sera obtained to determine the Hp-seroprevalence (IgG). Epigastralgia was the cause of endoscopies in 80 % of the patients. Average age was 43 years old, with 54 males and 46 females. Endoscopic diagnosis: duodenal ulcer (6); gastric ulcer (14); non-ulcerous dispepsia (80); gastritis (62); hyatal hernia (3), biliary reflux (1); esophagitis (2), and normal panendoscopies (12). Of the total of 100 tested sera, 84 were positive (84 %). The prevalence of infection due to H. Pylori in Dominican Republic is high and it corresponds with the prevalence reported in the developing countries. Further studies are necessary to complete the epidemiology of H. pylori infection in the Caribbean region.

Keywords : Helicobacter pylori; endoscopic diagnosis; serology; warning.