title: Helicobacter pylori in gallbladder mucosa in patients with gallbladder disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter species have been found to be associated with biliary tract diseases. This prospective study was done to determine the prevalence of H. pylori in the biliary tract of patients suffering from gallbladder disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine patients undergoing laparoscopic/open cholecystectomy for benign biliary tract diseases were investigated with urea breath test for H. pylori infection of gastric antrum. Bile and gallbladder tissues were studied for presence of H. pylori by rapid urease test, histopathological examination, culture and PCR analysis. Gallbladder specimens from two patients who underwent Whipple's operation and from 10 cadavers were studied as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) age of patients was 42.4 (11.1) years. Urea breath test was positive in 17 (34.6%) cases. Rapid urease test was negative in all the cases. There was no evidence of H. pylori infection of gallbladder on histopathological examination using H&E, Giemsa and Warthin Starry stains. H. pylori DNA were detected in 16 patients (32.6%) and none of the 12 controls by PCR analysis (p = 0.025). The presence of H. pylori DNA in bile and/or gallbladder was associated with positive urea breath test, (p < 0.0001). Other factors like age, gender, jaundice and cholestasis were not associated with H. pylori infection of bile and gallbladder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly three quarters of patients with positive urea breath test have detectable H. pylori DNA in gallbladder tissue. The significance of these findings needs to be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Disciplines, Room No. 5021, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110 029, India. drvkbansal@gmail.com
authors.forename: Virinder Kumar
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Mahesh C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chaubal
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Datta Gupta
authors.forename: Bimal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Vineet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ahuja
authors.forename: Sushma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sagar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001944:Breath Tests; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000382:microbiology; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial