title: Helicobacter pylori and overweight status in the United States: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
abstract: Obesity is an important public health problem in the United States. Because of its potential effects on gastric leptin homeostasis, Helicobacter pylori may play a role in regulating body weight. The authors' aim in this study was to examine the association between H. pylori colonization and overweight status. Nonpregnant participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) aged > or = 20 years who had had H. pylori testing performed and body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m2)) measured were studied. Overweight was defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to 25. On the basis of serologic results, the participants were categorized into three H. pylori status groups: H. pylori-positive and cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA)-positive (H. pylori+ cagA+), H. pylori-positive and cagA-negative (H. pylori+ cagA-), and H. pylori-negative (H. pylori-). Of the 7,003 subjects with complete body mass index and H. pylori data, 2,634 (weighted percentage, 22.9%) were H. pylori+ cagA+, 1,385 (15.1%) were H. pylori+ cagA-, and 2,984 (62.0%) were H. pylori-. The adjusted odds of being overweight were 1.17 (95% confidence interval: 0.98, 1.39; p = 0.075) for the H. pylori+ cagA+ group and 0.99 (95% confidence interval: 0.80, 1.22; p = 0.92) for the H. pylori+ cagA- group in comparison with H. pylori- subjects. Serum leptin levels did not differ significantly between the three H. pylori groups. In this US population-based study, there was no significant association between H. pylori colonization, cagA+ strains of H. pylori, and being overweight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ilseung
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: Jomol P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mathew
authors.forename: Xiang Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Judith D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Edmund J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D020738:Leptin; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori