Comparison of the gastric biopsy results of Afghan refugees and Turkish people

Helicobacter pylori- (H. pylori) infection is one of the effective factors in the development of gastric premalignant lesions, and it is known that socioeconomic conditions are closely related to H. pylori infection. Our aim was to show whether there were differences regarding H. pylori infection and gastric histopathological findings between humans who had to manage an exhausting escape out of their own country and residents of a coastal town in the black sea region of Turkey. Endoscopic findings of Turkish and Afghan patients who underwent gastroscopy for various reasons, gastric biopsies, and their histopathological results (H. pylori, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric atrophy) and some biochemical parameters were retrospectively screened from the hospital online data system. A total of 222 patients, 41 Afghan and 181 Turkish, were included in the study. There were no significant differences regarding age and gender of the patients between the groups. The percentage of the patients with intestinal metaplasia and H. pylori infection was higher in the group of the Afghan patients than in Turkish patients. Afghan refugees had similar rates of atrophic gastritis (23.1% versus 21.5%; p=0.834), when compared to resident controls. Risk factors of gastric cancer include the presence of H. pylori infection, atrophic gastritis, and intestinal metaplasia. This study supports the knowledge that socioeconomic factors such as low economic conditions and poor health infrastructure are one of the major causes of widespread global H. pylori infection status.