The Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Its Relationship to Age and Gender in the City of Al-Asabaa, Libya

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the Libyan city of Al-Asabaa and the association between infection status and demographic factors like age and gender.  The study used a retrospective methodology, collecting data from a random sample of 160 individuals of both sexes who had symptoms suggesting infection and who had visited private medical laboratories in the city during 2024. The participants' ages ranged from 2 to 81 years. Venous blood samples were collected from these individuals, and the serum was separated by centrifugation. The levels of IgG and IgM antibodies were measured using the chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) method with a Maglumi800 device to detect the presence of the bacteria. The results showed that 75% of the participants (120 out of 160) had positive results for the presence of the bacteria. Among the positive cases, the breakdown was as follows: 34 were positive for both IgG and IgM, 24 for IgM only, and 62 for IgG only. The study did not find a statistically significant relationship between the prevalence of the infection and gender. The percentage of infected males (36.25%) was close to the percentage of infected females (38.75%). The Chi-Square value of 0.1336 and a P-value of 0.715 confirmed the lack of association between gender and infection status. In contrast, the results showed a statistically significant relationship between age and H. pylori infection. The P-value was 0.0089, with the highest prevalence rates found in the younger age groups: 22 to 41 years (27.5%) and 2 to 21 years (26.25%). A sharp decline in the infection rate was observed in the oldest age group, from 62 to 81 years (1.25%). The study recommends the necessity of conducting further epidemiological research in different regions of Libya, with a focus on identifying the environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors that may explain the notable variation in prevalence rates among different cities. These findings aim to inform the development of effective prevention strategies to prevent the infection and curb its spread.