Comparison of helicobacter pylori infection between pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarumand and controls

Background: A small percentage of pregnant women experience a severe form of nausea and
vomiting called Hyperemesis gravidarum. To compare the rate of H. pylori infection between an Iranian samples
of pregnant women who were suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) in their first trimester and control
pregnant women without HG. Methods: In this cross-sectional study 30 pregnant women who suffered from
HG and 30 controls were enrolled. H. pylori specific serum IgG was measured using ELISA method. IgG titers
of more than 10, less than 10 and between 5 and 10 U/mL were considered as seropositive, seronegative and
suspicious for H. pylori infection, respectively. Results: No significant difference was seen between the two
groups regarding age, gestational age and gravidity. Twenty-four patients (92.3%) in HG group had H. pylori
infection, while this rate was only 7.7% (two patients) in control group (P < 0.001). No correlation was detected
between IgG titers and either maternal age (t=2.4, P = 0.12) or parity (x2=0.2, P = 0.6). Conclusion: There was
significantly higher rate of H. pylori infection in HG pregnant women in their first trimester in comparison to
controls.