The relationship between Helicobacter pylori CagA IgG positivity and gastrointestinal complaints and histopathological findings

Background and Aims: In recent years, there has been a widespread use of serologic tests based on detection of IgG-type antibodies against Helicobacter pylori CagA outer membrane protein, which is a strong immunogen and cytotoxin, for the identification of pathologies caused by these microorganisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between CagA IgG antibodies against Helicobacter pylori and gastrointestinal complaints and histopathological and demographic data. Material and Methods: This study included 74 adult patients who were admitted to the internal medicine outpatient clinic with different gastrointestinal complaints, showed Helicobacter pylori positivity in the urea breath test, and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopic biopsy because of the diagnosis. The presence of IgG antibodies against CagA protein was detected by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Results: The 74 patients included 20 (27%) females and 54 (73%) males. CagA IgG positivity was detected in 62% of the Helicobacter pylori-positive patients. The most common gastrointestinal complaint was abdominal pain, and the most common histopathological finding was chronic active gastritis in the CagA IgG-positive patient group. Conclusion: Further long-term studies with a large sample size are needed to standardize the use of these serologic tests, which are inexpensive, practical, and noninvasive, in the early diagnosis of pathologies associated with Helicobacter pylori infection