title: Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and serum interleukin-18 in patients with carotid atherosclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection stimulates the production of proinflammatory cytokines associated with the development of atherosclerosis. Levels of circulating interleukin-18 (IL-18) have been positively correlated with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and coronary plaque area and have identified IL-18 levels as important predictors of coronary events and cardiovascular mortality. This study aimed to examine the relationship between serum IL-18 and H. pylori-IgG antibody as a sign of H. pylori infection in patients with carotid atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The carotid IMT, traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, levels of serum H. pylori-IgG and IL-18 were measured in 573 health checkup examinees.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum IL-18 and H. pylori-IgG levels were significantly increased in subjects with increased IMT in comparison with those with normal IMT. In subjects with increased IMT, serum H. pylori-IgG was positively correlated with serum IL-18 (r = .402, p = .002), and the association was independent of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors (β = 0.310, p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In health checkup examinees with increased IMT, serum IL-18 and H. pylori-IgG were independently correlated and were significantly higher than in subjects with normal IMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovasology, Yue Bei People's Hospital, Huimin South Road, Shaoguan, 512026, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Bao-Feng
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Shao-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Liang-Qiu
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: She-Bing
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ze-Fang
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D020382:Interleukin-18