The presence of Helicobacter pylori in postmenopausal women is not a factor to the decrease of bone mineral density.
BACKGROUND
Osteoporosis affects approximately 30% of postmenopausal women. Gastrectomy, pernicious anemia, and more recently Helicobacter pylori infection, have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. A reduced parietal cell mass is a common feature in these conditions.


OBJECTIVE
To study a possible relationship between chronic gastritis, parietal cell density of the oxyntic mucosa and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, as chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection and osteoporosis are frequently observed in the elderly.


METHODS
Fifty postmenopausal women (61.7 +/- 7 years) were submitted to gastroduodenal endoscopy and bone densitometry by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Glandular atrophy was evaluated objectively by the determination of parietal cell density. Helicobacter pylori infection was evaluated by histology, urease test and breath test with 13C.


RESULTS
Thirty-two patients (64%) presented chronic multifocal gastritis, and 20 of them (40%) showed signs of gastric mucosa atrophy. Lumbar spine osteoporosis was found in 18 patients (36%). The parietal cell density in patients with and without osteoporosis was 948 +/- 188 and 804 +/- 203 cells/mm(2), respectively. Ten osteoporotic patients (55%) and 24 non-osteoporotic patients (75%) were infected by Helicobacter pylori.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis presented a well-preserved parietal cell density in comparison with their counterparts without osteoporosis. Helicobacter pylori infection was not different between the two groups. We concluded that neither atrophic chronic gastritis nor Helicobacter pylori seem to be a reliable risk factor to osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
Kakehasi
Adriana M
AM
Laboratory of Digestive and Neuroendocrine Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais School of Medicine, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Mendes
Cláudia M C
CM
Coelho
Luiz G V
LG
Castro
Luiz P
LP
Barbosa
Alfredo J A
AJ
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index