Prevalence and molecular characterization of Helicobacter pylori isolated from subjects attending selected hospitals in Nasarawa State

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram negative, slow growing, resilient, helical shaped, microaerophilic bacillus whose normal habitat is the epithelial tissues of the human stomach’s mucosa. This study determined the prevalence and molecular characteristics of H. pylori in Akwanga and Keffi, Nassarawa State. The presence of H. pylori in stool samples collected from 200 subjects (100 each from General Hospital Akwanga and Federal Medical Centre Keffi) was detected using rapid test kit while the bacterial DNA was extracted using standard methods. This was followed by DNA amplification using PCR, gel electrophoresis of the amplicons, sequence analysis and multiple sequence alignment. Eighteen (9.00%) out of the 200 samples analysed were found to be positive for H. pylori. The highest prevalence (3.00%) was recorded among the 26-30 years age group while the age group 6 – 10 years had no infection at all. The males had higher prevalence of infection (5.50%) compared to the females (3.50%). The rate of infection was found to be higher among rural dwellers (5.50%), those that take stream/river (4.50%) and those that use pit latrine toilet facility (5.50%) compared with those using water closet (3.55). The molecular result showed that H. pylori strain G-Mx-2003-108 was detected in the selected hospital each having 500 base pair. The result of this study has shown that the circulating strain of H. pylori in Nasarawa state is H. pylori strain G-Mx-2003-108. The carriage rate of H. pylori in the study area underscores the need for public enlightenment and provision of public sanitary facilities.