Urease gene detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastritis patients and evaluation of Interleukins 33 and 17 in Kerbala Province

Helicobacter pylori is a common cause of gastritis, affecting up to 80% of individuals in developing countries. IL-33 and IL-17 are potential inflammatory markers for gastritis caused by H. pylori compared with other types of gastritis. This study aimed to evaluate IL-33 and IL-17 levels in patients with gastritis and apparently healthy individuals. A total of 125 subjects were included in the study. For 100 patients with gastritis, a urease test followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to confirm H. pylori infection, whereas 25 healthy controls tested negative for H. pylori antigen via rapid stool test. All participants attended the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) Center at Al Hussain Teaching Hospital between December 2022 and May 2023. IL-33 and IL-17 levels were measured in 84 subjects. The levels of IL-33 and IL-17 (p-values 0.001 and 0.008, respectively) were significantly elevated in patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis compared with the other groups. The variation in measurement cutoff values determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggests that IL-33 and IL-17 are valuable biomarkers for evaluating gastritis in patients with H. pylori and other groups included in the study.