Influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on iron accumulation in hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
Iron may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection was recently associated with iron-deficiency anemia. We examined the influence of Hp infection on hepatic iron accumulation in hepatitis C.


METHODS
Ninety-five hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA-positive patients, including 60 chronic hepatitis, 17 cirrhosis and 18 hepatocellular carcinoma as well as 95 age- and sex-matched normal subjects without HCV infection as control, were studied. Liver biopsies were also obtained from 44 HCV-infected patients. Serum Hp antibodies were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and clinical data, including iron parameters and histological findings, were compared between Hp-positive and -negative HCV-infected patients.


RESULTS
The percentage of serum Hp antibodies was lower in HCV-infected patients than in controls (52/95 (54.7%) vs. 68/95 (71.6%); P<0.05). HCV-infected patients had higher serum ferritin levels than controls (120 [2.8-1700] vs. 58 [2.2-420] ng/ml; P<0.0001). In HCV-infected patients, the serum ferritin levels (medians and [ranges]) in Hp-positive patients were significantly lower than those of Hp-negative patients (99 [8.5-770] vs. 150 [2.8-1700] ng/ml; P<0.05). The grades of hepatic iron deposit in Hp-positive patients were significantly lower than those in Hp-negative patients (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Hp infection may at least partly affect hepatic iron accumulation in HCV-related liver diseases.
Sumida
Yoshio
Y
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nara City Hospital, Nara, Japan. sumida@nara-jadecom.jp
Kanemasa
Kazuyuki
K
Yamaoka
Yoshio
Y
Imamura
Shigeyoshi
S
Katoh
Naho
N
Nakashima
Toshiaki
T
Tachibana
Shunji
S
Mitsuyoshi
Hironori
H
Itoh
Yoshito
Y
Okanoue
Takeshi
T
D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000378:metabolism*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron