Prevalence of H. pylori Infection in Type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients in Rural Rajasthan – A Case Control Study

In patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic infections are frequent and severe due to the impairment of their immune status. However, data on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in DM type II (DMT2) are scanty and contradictory. Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in DMT2 patients in Northern region of India (Rajasthan state, more specifically in and around the rural area of Pilani) and also to find if there exists any significant correlation between H. pylori infection and DMT2. The study was carried out in rural Rajasthan. A case control study of 72 patients (33 diabetics and 39 non-diabetic subjects) was designed for the period of six month. The study design was based on pre-decided inclusion and exclusion criteria. Blood samples were collected from controls and DMT2 patients after obtaining informed consent. Anti H. pylori IgG Microplate ELISA test was performed for presence or absence of H. pylori. Differences between DMT2 patients and controls were evaluated based on statistical analysis. Data was analyzed by using Chi-square test at 5 % level of significance. The difference of H. pylori prevalence between diabetics (88%) and control (67%) was significant (p<0.05) showing strong correlation between the association of H. pylori and DMT2.