title: Assessment of Risk and Sero-Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Colonization among Remote Orang Asli Tribes in Peninsula Malaysia.
abstract: The epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is related to human poverty with marked differences between developing and developed countries. Socioeconomic factors and living standards are the main determinants of the age-dependent acquisition rate of H. pylori, and consequently its prevalence. The aim of this study was to assess the risk and sero-prevalence of H. pylori colonization among Orang Asli in Peninsula Malaysia. This cross-sectional study was conducted on Orang Asli subjects in seven isolated settlements spanning across all three major tribes (Negrito, Proto Malay and Senoi) in Malaysia. Socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects were obtained through interview. Subjects were tested for H. pylori colonization based on CagA and whole cell (WC) antigen serological assays. A total of 275 subjects participated in this study. Among these subjects, 115 (44.7%) were H. pylori sero-positive with highest sero-prevalence among Negrito (65.7%). Among subjects who were H. pylori sero-positive, CagA sero positivity was also significantly higher among Negrito. The highest proportion of respondents reported to be H. pylori sero-positive was from age group 30 years old and below (57.9%), males (56.2%), Negrito (48.6%) and live in bamboo house (92.3%). The highest proportion of respondents reported to be CagA sero-positive was from age group 30 years old and below (41.4%), males (35.6%) and Negrito (48.6%). The results of this study demonstrate that H. pylori colonization can be related to age, gender, tribes and house materials and CagA sero-positive stain closely associated with age, gender and tribes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kavitha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thevakumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Josephine Rebecca
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chandren
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine and VA Medical Center, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Guillermo Ignacio
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Perez-Perez
authors.affiliation: The Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (M502), University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Eng Guan
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.affiliation: Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Lay Kek
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.affiliation: Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Zaki
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Salleh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jin Ai Mary Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Alex Hwong Ruey
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Leow
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Khean Lee
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.affiliation: The Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (M502), University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
authors.forename: Alfred Chin Yen
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.affiliation: The Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (M502), University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.|UM Marshall Centre, High Impact Research Building, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jamuna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vadivelu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mun Fai
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Loke
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.|Julius Centre University of Malaya (JCUM), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Li Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult