Helicobacter pylori Infection, Virulence Genes' Distribution and Accompanying Clinical Outcomes: The West Africa Situation

Data on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and virulence factors in countries across West Africa are scattered. This systematic review seeks to present an update on the status of H. pylori infection focusing on prevalence rate, distribution of virulent genes, and their link to clinical outcomes across countries in the western part of Africa. This information is expected to broaden the knowledge base of clinicians and researchers regarding H. pylori infection and associated virulence factors in West African countries. Search Method. A comprehensive search of the scientific literature in PubMed and ScienceDirect was conducted using the search terms including “Helicobacter pylori infection in West Africa”. Databases were sourced from January 1988 to December 2018. Results. Data on the incidence of H. pylori infection and related pathological factors were found for some countries, whereas others had no information on it. Smoking, alcohol, exposure to high levels of carcinogens and diet were reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal diseases and gastric cancer. Besides the environmental factors and genetic characteristics, there are important characteristics of H. pylori such as the ability to infect, replicate, and persist in a host that have been associated with the pathogenesis of various gastroduodenal diseases. Concluding Remarks. This systematic search has provided information so far available on H. pylori virulence factors and clinical outcomes in West Africa. Accordingly, this piece has identified gaps in the body of knowledge highlighting the need for more studies to clarify the role of H. pylori virulence factors and associated clinical outcomes in the burden of this bacterial infection in West Africa, as data from these countries do not give the needed direct relation.