Endoscopic and histological findings among Israeli populatíons infected with helicobacter pylorí: Does ethnicity matter?

Background: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylorí varies geographically by age, race, and socioeconomic status (SES). However, the impact of ethnicity on endoscopic outcomes in infected individuais is not well known. Objectives: To assess the impact of ethnicity among Israelis with biopsy-proven H. pylorí infection. Methods: A retrospective study, including patients who underwent gastroscopy and were diagnosed histologically with H. pylorí infection, was conducted. Information on demographics, SES, medications, and co-morbidities were extracted from medicai records. Univariate (Studenfs f-test, chi-square test) and multivariate (multinomial and logistic) regression analysis were conducted to examine the predictors of the clinicai outcome. Resulte: The study included 100 Israeli Jews and 100 Israeli Arabs diagnosed with biopsy-proven H. pylorí infection. At univariate analysis, the number of households was higher among Arabs (P < 0.001), whose family income and parental education were lower than among Jews (P < 0.001 for both variables). The response to amoxicillin and clarithromycin differed between the two groups, being higher among]ews (P < 0.001). In clinicai outcomes (gastritis severity, gastric and duodenal ulcer, intestinal metaplasia, atrophic gastritis, and MALT), no statistically significant differences could be detected between Jews and Arabs. Concerning intestinal metaplasia, lack of consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs resulted a statistically significant protective factor (odds ratio 0.128, 95% confidence interval 0.024-0.685, P = 0.016). Conclusions: Although in the literature ethnicity seems to be a risk factor for H. pylorí colonization, no statistical significance was detected in various endoscopic and histological findings related to H. Pylorí infection between Israeli Arabs and Jews.