title: Helicobacter pylori infection: a new cause of anorexia in peritoneal dialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection has frequently been found in dialysis patients. Chronic infections induce overproduction of pro-inflammatory substances. Inflammation has been associated with cachexia and anorexia. We explored the relationship between HP infection, anorexia, and malnutrition in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 48 clinically stable PD patients divided into four groups: HP+ with anorexia (group I, n = 12); HP+ without anorexia (group II, n = 4); HP- with anorexia (group III, n = 5); and HP- without anorexia (group IV, n = 27). Infection with HP was diagnosed by breath test. Anorexia was evaluated using a personal interview and an eating motivation scale (VAS). The VAS included five questions that are answered before and after eating. The questions concern desire to eat, hunger, feeling of fullness, prospective consumption, and palatability. Biochemical markers of nutrition and inflammation were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, group I showed lower scores for desire to eat, hunger sensation, prospective consumption, and palatability. They also showed lower lymphocyte counts, prealbumin, transferrin, serum albumin, normalized equivalent of protein-nitrogen appearance (nPNA), and residual renal function (RRF). In addition, the same group showed higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and more sensation of fullness than the remaining groups. In the entire series, we found significant linear correlations between the following markers of nutrition and certain questions on the VAS: albumin with before-lunch desire to eat (r = 0.38, p < 0.05), and prealbumin with before-lunch hunger (r = 0.41, p < 0.05) and after-lunch hunger (r = -0.35, p < 0.05). Negative linear correlations were found between albumin and fullness before lunch (r = -0.45, p < 0.01), and between prealbumin and before-lunch desire to eat (r = -0.39, p < 0.05). Negative linear correlations were also seen between CRP and albumin (r = -0.35, p < 0.05) and between CRP and prealbumin (r = -0.36, p < 0.05). Similarly, CRP showed a negative correlation with before-lunch desire to eat (r = -0.38, p < 0.05) and afterlunch desire to eat (r = -0.45, p < 0.01). After HP eradication, group I showed a significant increase in markers of nutrition and in VAS scores for almost all questions. Simultaneously, they showed a decrease in CRP level. Significant differences were also found in lymphocyte count (1105 +/- 259.4 cells/mm3 vs 1330.8 +/- 316 cells/mm3, p < 0.05), nPNA (0.9 +/- 0.16 g/kg/day vs 1.07 +/- 0.3 g/kg/day, p < 0.05), prealbumin (26.7 +/- 6.5 mg/dL vs 33.9 +/- 56.6 mg/dL, p < 0.01), albumin (3.48 +/- 0.3 g/dL vs 3.67 +/- 0.35 g/dL, p < 0.05), CRP (1.16 +/- 1.14 mg/dL vs 0.88 +/- 1.2 mg/dL, p < 0.054), before-lunch desire to eat (56.6 +/- 6.8 vs 72.2 +/- 4, p < 0.001), after-lunch desire to eat (5.4 +/- 2.6 vs 12.3 +/- 2, p < 0.01), hunger before lunch (55.4 +/- 5.4 vs 73.1 +/- 4.6, p < 0.001), hunger after lunch (5.8 +/- 2.9 vs 11 +/- 4, p < 0.01), fullness before lunch (36.6 +/- 10.3 vs 18.7 +/- 8.8, p < 0.001), consumption after lunch (5 +/- 4.7 vs 17.5 +/- 18, p < 0.05), and palatability (61 +/- 5.3 vs 74.1 +/- 4.1, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection with HP is associated with anorexia, inflammation, and malnutrition in PD patients. Eradication of HP significantly improves this syndrome. Residual renal function seem to have a protective effect on appetite preservation. The present study supports the hypothesis of the involvement of inflammation in the pathogenesis of malnutrition in PD patients.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Gastroenterología, Hospitales Universitarios de la Princesa y la Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Codoceo
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bajo
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Diéz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: del Peso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valdez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cirugeda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Perpén
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Tomero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selgas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein