title: Helicobacter pylori may play a contributory role in the pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis.
abstract: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) DNA has been identified in human livers and has been implicated in chronic liver disease and liver cancer. To better understand the role of H pylori in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), 25 patients with end-stage PSC and 31 controls were studied. Genomic DNA was extracted from microdissected hilar hepatic ducts of liver explants and was amplified for H pylori DNA. Serum was tested for H pylori antibodies. Helicobacter DNA was detected in 9 of the 56 (16%) patients by 16SrRNA PCR (an additional case [for a total of 18%] was antibody positive). Seven of the 9 cases identified by polymerase chain reaction were positive for the CagA gene, confirming they were H pylori. Seven of the 25 (28%) patients with PSC and 3 of the 31 (9.7%) controls were positive for Helicobacter (P=.087). H pylori DNA was detected in microdissected hilar biliary epithelium in more PSC patients than controls, supporting the hypothesis that bile reflux from the duodenum into the biliary tract might carry H pylori organisms into the proximal biliary system, possibly contributing to PSC development and/or progression in some patients.
authors: Department of Pathology, Division of Anatomic Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. krasinskasam@upmc.edu
authors: Alyssa M
authors: AM
authors: Krasinskas
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Yao
authors: Parmjeet
authors: P
authors: Randhawa
authors: Maria P
authors: MP
authors: Dore
authors: Antonia R
authors: AR
authors: Sepulveda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D012329:RNA, Bacterial