Abstract

RUIZ-ALVAREZ, Vladimir; REBOSO-PEREZ, José  and  HERNANDEZ-TRIANA, Manuel. Association between the Helicobacter pylori infection and anemia in school age children. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2005, vol.24, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3011.

The values of haemoglobin and of anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies were measured in 133 boys and 136 girls at school age from Havana City in 2004. The Helicobacter pylori infection is related to numerous affections of childhood. The reports about the existance of a relation to iron-deficiency anemia at school age and about the recovery from this affection after the erradication of the bacterium are usual. Anemia is the main health problem in the Cuban population connected with food and nutrition among shool age children. The prevalence of anemia and Helicobacter pylori infection in school age children was 27 % and 70 %, respectively. The level of infection of the anemic children, without differences of sex, was 79 %, compared with 68 % of infection in non anemic children (p=0.462). The haemoglobin levels did not show assocation with Helicobacter pylori infection in all the children. The associations between iron-deficiency anemia and Helicobacter pylori were found in girls (p= 0.014), but not in boys (p= 0.940), maybe because girls are more vulnerable to iron-deficiency anemia. Helicobacter pylori is capable of affecting iron absorption in the stomach and of exacerbating thus its deficiency in children at school age, among whom the iron supply is marginal.

Keywords : Helicobacter pylori; anemia; children.

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