title: The association between current Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) is still controversial, and the relation between current H. pylori infection and CAD has not been fully examined. This study evaluated the relation between H. pylori infection as confirmed by gastroduodenoscopic biopsy and CAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We determined the presence of H. pylori infections, via gastroduodenoscopy, in 88 patients of the normal coronary angiographic group and also in 175 patients of the CAD group, and the latter patients had more than 50% coronary stenosis angiographically demonstrated. We excluded those patients with a history of previous H. pylori eradication and/or malignancy. A small piece of tissue from the antrum, which was obtained by gastroduodenoscopic biopsy, was stained by Warthin-starry silver stain. We defined a negative staining result that there was no stained tissue in the sample and the stained tissue was also positive for H. pylori infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference, except for gender, age, smoking and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), of the demographic and laboratory characteristics between the groups. Twenty seven (30.7%) patients of the normal control group and 71 (40.6%) patients of the CAD group were positive of H. pylori infection, yet there was no statistical difference. We angiographically followed up the 80 patients of the CAD group who were treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at 6 to 9 months after their primary intervention. Twenty two (37.9%) of the 58 patients of the H. pylori negative group and 10 (45.5%) of the 22 patients of the H. pylori positive group were treated with reintervention, but reintervention was also not significantly different between the group with H. pylori infection and the group without the infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicated that H. pylori infection had a modest influence on CAD and progressive atheroma, but the showed a tendency to increase. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between H. pylori infection and CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Sung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Her
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hee-Jeoung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Su-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Pum-Joon
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Ki-Bae
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Seung
authors.forename: Jae-Hyung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jae-Hi
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Keon-Yeop
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004384:Duodenoscopy; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors