Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and atherosclerosis risk factors.
Certain viral and bacterial infections may contribute to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study is to determine whether Helicobacter pylori (HP) seropositivity contributes to conventional atherosclerosis risk factors in the development of an early sign of atherosclerosis: intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery. Eighty-four patients who had at least two conventional atherosclerosis risk factors and a control group of 50 patients having no risk factors for atherosclerosis were enrolled in the study. None of the patients had ever received HP eradication treatment. HP IgG antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Carotid artery IMT was measured 1 cm before the carotid bifurcation. Seventy-five percent of the study group was HP seropositive. HP seropositive (n=64) and seronegative (n=21) groups were identical in terms of sex distribution, smoking pattern, mean age, hemoglobin, leukocyte, platelet, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels. There was no significant difference between the mean carotid IMT of HP seropositive (0.8+/-0.3 mm) and negative (0.8+/-0.3 mm) patients in the study group. Similar to the study group, there was no statistically significant difference between mean carotid IMT of HP seropositive (0.56+/-0.19 mm) and negative patients (0.67+/-0.13 mm) in the control group (p=0.2). Future studies concerning virulent strains are needed to determine the probable role of HP in atherosclerosis.
Köksal
Aydin
A
Department of Gastroenterology, Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. dckoksal@hotmail.com
Ekmekçi
Yakup
Y
Karadeniz
Yasemin
Y
Köklü
Seyfettin
S
Apan
Teoman
T
Yilmaz
Murat
M
Sezikli
Mesut
M
Unal
Birsen
B
Demirel
Tolga
T
Yildiz
Akin
A
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol