Objective: To assess the incidence of H. pylori among pregnant individuals with or without pre-eclampsia, and to assess the perinatal outcome correlated with H. pylori infection.
Materials and Methods: A comparative observational study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Ninety-two women in the third trimester of pregnancy, gestational age from 34 weeks, were categorized into two groups: pre-eclampsia and control groups (46 women for each group). Blood samples were drawn on admission. Complete blood picture (hemoglobin levels, TLC, platelet count) was assayed. Alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), blood creatinine, and electrolytes (Na, K) were assayed. Venous blood specimens were drawn into 5-ml test tubes without anticoagulant, and serum was extracted by centrifugation immediately. Serum immunoassay for H. Pylori IgG seropositivity was conducted for all patients. The outcomes were compared between the two groups in all patients.
Results: The seropositivity of H. pylori in maternal serum was statistically significantly higher in individuals with pre-eclampsia than in uneventful women (p-value <0.001). The percentage of H. pylori among women with pre-eclampsia and control pregnant women was (73.9 % and 39.1%, respectively). There was also a link between H. pylori and disease severity, IUFD, reduced mean gestational age, hemolysis-elevated liver enzymes-low platelet count (HELLP), NICU admission, and low fetal body weight.
Conclusion: Pre-eclampsia, especially in severe and complicated cases, is associated with maternal infection with H. pylori.