Detection of Helicobacter pylori from Biopsies Obtained from Patients Referred for Endoscopy at Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria Using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Method

Helicobacter pylorus (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative bacterium and the cause of gastrointestinal diseases such as chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, lymphoma and adenocarcinoma and it remains a public health challenge. This study aimed at detecting H. pylori among patients referred for endoscopy at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. The research methodology involved the analysis of biopsies obtained from patients undergoing endoscopy in the hospital. The detection of H. pylori antigens was achieved using the Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Out of the eighty (80) biopsy samples collected, 4 (5.0 %) were positive for H. pylori while 76 (95.0) were negative. When the occurrence of gastritis was linked with the ELISA technique used in detecting H. pylori infection, there was no association between gastritis and detection of H. pylori. (χ2=7.018; p = 0.008). Out of the eighty patients examined, 33 (41.25 %) were males and 47 (58.75 %) were females. Helicobacter pylori infection was not significantly associated with sex. (χ2= 0.133; p= 0.715). This study contributes to the distribution of H. pylori in the investigated population as revealed by ELISA method that detected H. pylori antibodies specificity for H. pylori. Regarding the sensitivity and specificity, ease of work as well as its economic status, ELISA technique can be employed in the diagnosis of H. pylori infections. Data obtained from this study would help to inform future research endeavors and may serve as a basis for the development of targeted interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of H. pylori infections in the study area and beyond.