title: Long-term effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on plasma homocysteine in elderly patients with cobalamin deficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori gastritis may lead to impairment of the production of pepsinogen and acid, which are essential to cobalamin absorption. In turn, cobalamin deficiency leads to hyperhomocysteinaemia, a risk factor for cardio and cerebrovascular diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of H pylori eradication on plasma homocysteine levels in elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two H pylori-positive elderly patients with cobalamin deficiency were prospectively studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Homocysteine and cobalamin concentrations were determined before, 6 and 12 months after H pylori eradication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corpus atrophy was observed in a few patients; otherwise, in most of them, the degree of corpus gastritis was moderate to severe. The initial homocysteine mean (SD) levels decreased from 41.0 (27.1) to 21.6 (10.1) micromol/l at the 6 month follow-up (p<0.001) and to 13.1 (3.8) micromol/l 12 months after H pylori eradication (p<0.001). Conversely, initial cobalamin mean levels increased from 145.5 (48.7) pmol/l to 209.8 (87.1) pmol/l and to 271.2 (140.8) pmol/l, 6 and 12 months after treatment, respectively (p<0.001 for both). Although the erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume was within reference intervals, it decreased significantly 6 (p = 0.002) and 12 (p<0.001) months after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the current study demonstrated that the eradication of H pylori in elderly patients with cobalamin deficiency is followed by increasing of cobalamin and decreasing of homocysteine blood levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marília Campos Abreu
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Celso Affonso
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Andreia Maria Camargos
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Gifone Aguiar
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Nelma Cristina Diogo
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Clementino
authors.forename: Leonardo França
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: Ricardo Araújo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Almir Sousa
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Helen Lima
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Del Puerto
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Almeida
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galdieri
authors.forename: Enio Roberto Pietra
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Pedroso
authors.forename: Mônica Maria Demas Alvares
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Ana Margarida Miguel Ferreira
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Dulciene Maria Magalhães
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Queiroz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood; D005756:Gastritis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007437:Intrinsic Factor / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000276:immunology; D020116:Pepsinogen A / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D005755:Gastrins; D006710:Homocysteine; D020116:Pepsinogen A; D007437:Intrinsic Factor