| Summary: | Background: <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> and intestinal parasites are estimated to infect with high burden worldwide. However, their concomitant infections are poorly determined in industrialized countries, such as Italy. In this study we aim at describing the presence of <i>H. pylori</i> as well as the proportion of coinfections with intestinal parasites among subjects who attended a referral center for tropical diseases in Northern Italy. Methods: This was a case-control study. Screening for <i>H. pylori</i> and parasites was performed on stool samples of 93 adults from different geographical origin (Africa, Asia, South-America, East-Europe and Italy). <i>H. pylori</i> infection was examined by CLIA and its <i>cagA</i> positivity was determined by rtPCR. Intestinal parasites (i.e., protozoa and helminths) were examined by microscopy and rtPCR. Results: Sixty-one out of 93 patients (66%) were positive to <i>H. pylori</i> and 31 (33%) were <i>cagA</i>+. Among <i>H. pylori</i> positives, 45 (74%) had a concomitant infection. The coinfection <i>H. pylori</i>–<i>Blastocystis</i> was the most frequent one, followed by <i>H. pylori–E. coli</i>. Multivariable logistic regression showed that positivity to <i>H. pylori</i> was associated with having a coinfection. Conclusion: Our data suggested that <i>H. pylori</i> and intestinal parasitic infections are fairly common in subjects who attended a referral center for tropical diseases in Northern Italy. The high rate of <i>H. pylori</i> infection, and especially the positivity to the virulent <i>cagA</i>+, should be taken into consideration in subjects undergoing screening for parasitic infections.
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