Histomorphological Patterns and Helicobacter Pylori status of Gastric tissue biopsy by Giemsa histochemical stain at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza Tanzania

Abstract Background information : Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori) is one of the major public health problems worldwide, affecting more than 50% of the world’s population. In Tanzania, more than 50% of the population is infected by the H.pylori . Identification of its infection is essential for its eradication. There is no specific method for detection of H. Pylori in gastric tissue biopsy at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) rather than the routine Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stain which has lower detection rate of 11.2%. Objective : To determine the histomorphological patterns and H. pylori status of gastric tissue biopsy by Giemsa stain at BMC. Methodology : This was retrospective cross-sectional study involves 300 gastric tissue blocks from January 2020 to January 2022 archived in histopathology laboratory at BMC. Gastric tissue blocks were sectioned, stained by H&E and Giemsa for histomorphological diagnosis and H. pylori status. Results: A 300 gastric biopsies were identified, of which 53.75% were males and 46.3% were females. Majority of participants were 40 years and above 202(67.3%), most diagnosed with chronic gastritis 131 (43.7%), followed by gastric adenocarcinoma 115(38.3%), those aged bellow 20 years were only 24(8%). Males were predominantly diagnosed with Gastric adenocarcinoma (35.4%) and Gastric ulcers (4.9%) while majority of females had chronic gastritis (43.2%). by Giemsa stain, H .pylori was detected in only 106(35.3%). The association between H. pylori status with chronic gastritis, gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric polyps, gastric ulcers and gastric perforation were statistically significance (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: By the use of Giemsa stain, H. pylori was detected in about one third of gastric tissue biopsy. Most of gastric tissue biopsy with H. pylori infection were those with chronic gastritis. H pylori infection was associated with chronic gastritis, gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric ulcers, and gastric perforation. More studies focus on molecular pathogenesis of H.pylori on cause of various cancer disease like adenocarcinoma and MALT lymphoma is recommended in Mwanza, Tanzania.