PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL MEDITERRANEAN FEVER (FMF) AT SOTH OF TURKEY

Background and Aim:Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by recurrent attacks causing inflammation of the serosal membranes. Helicobacter pylori is a strong risk factor for the development of peptic ulceration, gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric mucosa–associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and lymphoma. Studies showed that H.pylori infections can effect on the frequency and severity of Familial Mediterranean Fever attacks. In our study we aimed to determine the H.pylori infection prevalence in patients suffering from FMF to evaluate, the probability of significant relation between H. pylori infection and FMFMethods:sample collection was performed by endoscopic route on 28 patients suffering from FMF and dyspeptic complaints at Balcali Hospital, Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic, Adana, Turkey. DNA was extracted from gastric biopsies by DNA extraction kit. Prepared DNA utilized for PCR targeted at the urea gene of Helicobacters by using genus specific primersResults:In this study 68% of patients were female and 32% of them were male. All of the patients had dyspeptic symptoms and presence of Helicobacter genus confirmed at 25% of casesConclusion:In conclusion, H. pylori positivity level in our study was 25%.This level is not particularly high and is compatible with data for childhood H. pylori positivity in Turkey but recurrent abdominal pain may be due to both FMF and H. pylori infection in children. As for today, the correlation between H. pylori infection and FMF seems unlikely; however, studies evaluating the interaction of cytokines in both diseases and their relations and roles will be needed to reach better conclusions

Keywords:

Dyspepsia , Helicobacter pylori , FMF , Endoscopy