Rate of Helicobacter pylori Infection Among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory condition characterized by persistent airflow limitations commonly associated with an inflammatory response in the lungs. So, with time, COPD makes it harder for the patient to breathe. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacterium predominantly known for causing gastrointestinal infections and peptic ulcers, has been implicated in various extra gastric diseases, including COPD. Objective: To find out the frequency and relationship between COPD and H. pylori infection. Methodology:  A case-control observational study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore - Pakistan from July 2021 to Jan 2022. A total of 60 study cases were included in this study, which was divided into two groups, i.e., 30 cases were COPD patients as a case group and 30 healthy individuals as a control group. All the participants were assessed by clinical assessment, chest radiograph, H. pylori stool antigen test, and spirometry with pre-bronchodilator and post-bronchodilator tests. To compare quantitative and qualitative variables, an unpaired T-test and χ2 test were used. Results: H. pylori test results in the case and control groups showed that 66.6% and 56.6% of individuals were seropositive, respectively, without significant findings between them, and there is no significant relation between the H. pylori infection and the severity of COPD. Conclusion: H. pylori infection has a role in the initiation and worsening of COPD infection in predisposed patients without a significant relationship between H. pylori and the severity of COPD.