Helicobacter pylori prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns in Houston, Texas
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Abstract
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are bacterium that can infect the stomach often in childhood. These long-term infections are responsible for 89% of gastric cancer. H. pylori can also cause MALT lymphoma and stomach ulcers. H. pylori prevalence and the antibiotic resistance of H. pylori varies greatly by location and population. This study investigates the prevalence of H. pylori and its antibiotic resistance pattern in the Houston area. Although previous studies have evaluated these issues in the Houston area, they are either outdated or exclude critical populations. The study sample was taken from Harris Health in Houston, Texas. On the day of enrollment, subjects completed a self-reported survey to take a personal, familial, and medical history and underwent a serological test to test for H. pylori. If the subject tested positive for H. pylori, an upper endoscopy (EGD) was performed as part of clinical care. Research gastric biopsies were obtained and subjected to antibiotic resistance testing at Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN. The research demonstrated significant differences in these parameters between race, the number of people in the household, and place of birth (p <.05). The most common type of antibiotic resistance in a treatment naïve population and treatment failure groups was metronidazole. In conclusion, there is an increased rate of H. pylori if the subject was Hispanic or were non-Hispanic black, they were born outside of the United States or have more than four people living in their household. Also, the most frequent type of antibiotic resistance to H. pylori was metronidazole, although most treatment naïve and treatment failure subjects demonstrate some antibiotic resistance.