Investigating the Relationship Between Helicobacter pylori Infection and the Severity of Bronchial Asthma

Abstract

Background: It has been found in many studies that 50% of the population were infected by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), hence, infections due to H. pylori are considered the most commonly occurring infections in the population. Numerous studies indicate that H. pylori may impact organs outside the gastrointestinal tract, including the respiratory system. Objective: To find out the potential connection between the severity of bronchial asthma and H. pylori infection, aiming to improve disease management. Methodology:  A cross-sectional study was performed at the outpatient clinic of the Chest Department at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, taking place from January 2020 to December 2021. Sample size included 150 asthmatic patients which were selected randomly. Spirometry and H. pylori tests were done on all study participants. They were 112 females with mean age ± SD (37.34 ± 4.99) years and 38 males with mean age ± SD (37.89 ± 5.19) years & with age range from 28–42 years. Results: The severity of bronchial asthma is inversely related to H. pylori infections; as asthma severity increases, the frequency of H. pylori infections decreases. A significant difference in H. pylori IgG levels was found among patients with mild, moderate, and severe persistent asthma, with a P value of less than 0.002. Asthmatic patients were mostly positive for H. pylori infections (59.1%), while patients with moderate and severe cases of asthma were positive for H. pylori infections as (30.9%) and (11.1%), respectively. Conclusion: H. pylori seropositivity appears to provide a protective effect against childhood asthma and is negatively correlated with its clinical and functional severity. Furthermore, H. pylori infection may lead to enhanced control of asthma symptoms.