IDENTIFICATION OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI IN GASTRIC BIOPSIES: A COMPARISON OF HAEMATOXYLIN AND EOSIN STAINING WITH IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY

Helicobacter pylori remains widely prevalent today despite modern medical advances. 1 It is responsible for an ever increasing number of gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. 2 Objective was to compare the efficacy of H&E staining with immunohistochemistry in the detection of H. pylori in gastric biopsies. It was a descriptive study and was carried out in the Pathology Department, Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore – Pakistan during the period of 1.2.211 to 30.10. 2011. Material and Methods: Seventy gastric biopsies were collected from Lahore General Hospital, Lahore. The tissue sections were stained with routine haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain and also with H. pylori immunostain. Histopathological examination of the sections was carried out under an optical microscope. The results of histological examination (H&E as well as immuno – staining), and clinical data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Helicobacter pylori was detected by H&E staining in 27.2% of our 70 cases while 72.8% were negative for this. In 20% cases there was mild colonisation where in 7.1% this was moderate. Immunohistochemistry carried out with Helicobacter pylori immunostain yielded 31.4% positive cases while 68.6% were negative. Among the 70 cases there were 64.3% males and 35.7% females. The maximum number of cases were found to be in the age group of 20 – 29 years and was 18 or 25.71%. This was followed by age groups 30 – 39 years and 50 – 59 years each of which had 12 (71.14%) patients. Age was compared in male and female patients. There was no significant age difference among males and females. A comparison between mean age in H. pylori positive and negative cases was also carried out. There was no significant correlation between age and H. pylori detection. A comparison between sex distribution and H. pylori positive and negative cases did not yield any significant difference between males and females.