Journal of Gastrointestinal & Digestive System
Open Access

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a major cause of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. There is mounting evidence that certain infectious agents including Helicobacter pylori can induce endothelial inflammation and injury. The aim of this work is to evaluate the pathogenic role of Helicobacter pylori in PE and whether it is associated or not with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Maternal sera were collected from 45 pregnant women with a diagnosis of PE and/or IUGR and from 45 women with normal pregnancies of comparable age and gestational period (controls) for detection of antibodies against H. pylori and specific antibodies against CagA protein using commercially available ELISA kits. Seropositivity was determined according to manufacturer�s instructions. No significant difference was detected between patients and controls regarding H. pylori IgG antibody seropositivity and CagA positivity (P> 0.05). Patients with early onset PE had significantly higher frequency of H. pylori IgG. No significant association was found between CagA and PE onset (P< 0.05). A significantly higher frequency of IUGR was recorded in HP positive patients (12 (33.3%) when compared with HP negative ones (0%) (P< 0.05). It was found that all patients with PE and IUGR (12) had significantly higher frequency of both H. pylori and CagA positivity when compared with PE patients without IUGR and control groups. (P< 0.05). H. pylori infection is quite prevalent in Egyptian community. Virulent H. pylori infections may be a risk factor to PE complicated by IUGR.

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