title: Patients with duodenal ulcer have lower levels of serum cholesterol compared to other dyspeptic patients independently of Helicobacter pylori status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and serum lipid profile is still controversial. The aim of this study was to determine any possible relationship between H. pylori infection and the lipid profile of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutively selected 20-70 year-old dyspeptic patients who had undergone esophagogastroduodenoscopy were evaluated for H. pylori infection using both the CLO test and Giemsa staining. Serum total cholesterol (C), HDL-C, LDL-C, apo-A1, apo-B and triglyceride levels were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 137 patients (median age 52.0 years) were studied. Total cholesterol levels were lower in H. pylori-infected patients than in H. pylori-negative patients (mean +/- SEM: 199.3 +/- 5.9 versus 212.6 +/- 4.6 mg/dl, p = 0.08). Patients with duodenal ulcer (DU) had significantly lower levels of all measured lipidemic parameters including cholesterol, with the exception of triglycerides, in comparison with either H. pylori-positive or -negative dyspeptic patients (cholesterol: 177.6 +/- 6.5 versus 214.6 +/- 4.2 mg/dl, p < 0.0001). However, there was no difference in the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio between DU patients and the rest of the dyspeptic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative patients there was no difference in lipid profile apart from a trend towards total cholesterol levels being lower in H. pylori-positive patients. However, cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, apo-A and apo-B were all decreased in DU patients even though this reduction did not result in a fall in the total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio. The etiologic factor differentiating the lipid profiles among dyspeptics only in H. pylori-positive patients carrying a DU could be dietetic, microbial, genetic or a combination of all three.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Alexandra Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karpouza
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samouilidou
authors.forename: Stefanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karagiannis
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kostopoulou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sotiropoulou
authors.forename: Eleftheria
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roma
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petraki
authors.forename: Spyros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015415:Biomarkers; D002784:Cholesterol