Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Renal Transplant Patients

Overview

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are frequent in organ transplant recipients. Peptic ulcers and related pathologies such as gastritis and duodenitis are known to occur with increased frequency (20-60%) and severity in renal transplant recipients. The frequency of severe complications is about 10% among transplant recipients and 10% of those might prove fatal As kidney transplant recipients have to take immunosuppressive drugs for a lifetime and because these drugs have many side effects that may not be differentiated from H. pylori infection Thus, in order to reduce the use of medications and subsequently to reduce the drug interactions ,proper detection and management of H pylori infection in those patients is preferred.

The prevalence of HP colonization is about 30% in the United States and other developed countries as opposed to more than 80% in most developing countries. Essentially, all HP-colonized persons have gastric inflammation, but this condition in itself is asymptomatic. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are frequent in organ transplant recipients. Peptic ulcers and related pathologies such as gastritis and duodenitis are known to occur with increased frequency (20-60%) and severity in renal transplant recipients. The frequency of severe complications is about 10% among transplant recipients and 10% of those might prove fatal. GI complications might require dose reduction or the discontinuation of some of the immunosuppressive medications, affecting graft survival. Considering the strong body of evidence supporting causal effects of HP infections on the development of peptic ulcers and gastric malignancies, the argumented rate of gastrointestinal complaints may bebattributed to increased HP infection rate among this population. Few studies have investigated the prevalence of HP infection; about 30% to 40% of renal transplant recipients shown HP colonization of the stomach There are conflicting data about the prevalence of H pylori infection in renal transplant recipients. Most of these studies used anti HP IgG to diagnose H. pylori infection that lack consistent sensitivity and specificity. Nasri and his colleagues in 2013 concluded significant positive association of serum H. Pylori IgG antibody titer with renal function in renal transplant patient. As kidney transplant recipients have to take immunosuppressive drugs for a lifetime and because these drugs have many side effects that may not be differentiated from H. pylori infection Thus, in order to reduce the use of medications and subsequently to reduce the drug interactions ,proper detection and management of H pylori infection in those patients is preferred. There are few studies have investigated the prevalence of HP infection; about 30% to 40% of renal transplant recipients shown HP colonization of the stomach. There are conflicting data about the prevalence of H pylori infection in renal transplant recipients.