Autonomic nervous activity before and after eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with chronic duodenal ulcer.
BACKGROUND
Helicobacter pylori infection is involved in the formation of chronic peptic ulcer. However, a previously reported hypothesis concerning the involvement of central autonomic nervous disorder in this condition cannot be ruled out.


OBJECTIVE
To use spectrum analysis of heart rate viability to examine autonomic nervous activity before and after H. pylori eradication.


METHODS
Twenty patients with chronic duodenal ulcer (duodenal ulcer group) and 20 age-matched normal adults (N group). In both groups, 24-h Holter electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded and spectrum analysis of heartrate variability was performed. In the duodenal ulcer group, Holter ECG was recorded before and after H. pylori eradication.


RESULTS
In the N group, analysis of heart rate variability showed that high frequency (HF) power, an index of parasympathetic activity, was high at night, while the low frequency (LF)/HF ratio, an index of sympathetic function, was high during the daytime. In the duodenal ulcer group, HF power was higher at night than during the daytime, showing a similar pattern to the N group, but the power value was higher than in the N group (P < 0.05). In the duodenal ulcer group, LF/HF at night was significantly higher than that of the N group. In addition, in the duodenal ulcer group, autonomic activity after H. pylori eradication did not differ significantly from that before H. pylori eradication.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with chronic peptic ulcer, both sympatheticotonia and parasympatheticotonia may occur at night, and this abnormality in autonomic nervous activity may cause increased gastric acid secretion and gastric mucosal vasoconstriction. Abnormalities in autonomic activity persist even after H. pylori eradication, suggesting that they may be an independent risk factor in the formation of chronic peptic ulcer in addition to H. pylori infection.
Katoh
K
K
Second Department of Internal Medicine, and Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Kuramoto-Cho, Tokushima, Japan.
Nomura
M
M
Nakaya
Y
Y
Iga
A
A
Nada
T
T
Hiasa
A
A
Ochi
Y
Y
Kawaguchi
R
R
Uemura
N
N
Honda
H
H
Shimizu
I
I
Ito
S
S
D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged