title: Rosacea: a cutaneous marker of Helicobacter pylori infection? Results of a pilot study.
abstract: Given the long purported anecdotal association between rosacea and gastrointestinal disease, the discovery that Helicobacter pylori causes gastritis and duodenal ulcer disease has led to a hypothesized role for this organism in the aetiology of rosacea. We conducted a case-series study of 49 patients to assess the potential association between severity of rosacea and direct and serological evidence of H. pylori infection. Patients were classified by severity into non-inflammatory erythematotelangiectatic or inflammatory/papulopustular rosacea and were tested for current H. pylori infection and evidence of previous exposure. Positive 13C-urea breath test and ELISA tests were more likely to be observed in patients with inflammatory rosacea, although not statistically significantly so (OR = 3.0, p = 0.15 and OR = 2.9, p = 0.16, respectively). However, the proportion of patients who tested positive in both assays (versus negative in at least one) was even higher in the inflammatory rosacea group and neared statistical significance (OR = 4.5, p = 0.06). This pilot study provides sufficient evidence suggestive of a positive association between the severity of rosacea and the presence of H. pylori to warrant further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, City Hospital NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: O'Callaghan
authors.forename: Azra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ilchyshyn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012393:Rosacea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D014508:Urea