title: Gastric Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with adverse metabolic traits in severely obese subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Asian studies have reported on an association of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection with insulin resistance (IR) in normal-weight subjects. Whether such an association likewise exists in European subjects with severe obesity was questioned.
  
  
  METHODS
  To address this question, 370 severely obese patients from our database were identified, who had undergone a gastroscopy with a histological examination of gastric mucosal biopsies and a concurrent assessment metabolic blood parameters as a standard examination before bariatric surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five (20.3%) of the subjects displayed a histologically proven Hp infection (Hp+). Sex distribution, age, and body mass index of Hp+ subjects did not differ from that of the subjects with no Hp infection (Hp-; all P > 0.293), but Hp+ subjects were significantly smaller (P = 0.006). Fasting glucose, insulin, high-sensitive C reactive protein, and alanine aminotransferase levels as well as calculated indices of IR (i.e., HOMA-IR, QUICKI) did not differ between Hp+ and Hp- subjects (all P > 0.42). However, Hp+ subjects showed significantly higher triglyceride levels and a higher total chloesterol-to-HDL ratio but lower sex-hormone binding globulin (SHGB) levels than Hp- subjects (all P ≤ 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While our results obtained in European severely obese patients do not provide evidence for an enhanced IR state associated with gastric Hp infection, they suggest that the presence of the bacterium in gastric biopsies is associated with an adverse lipid profile and reduced SHGB levels.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Obesity Center, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, CH-9400 Rorschach, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerig
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilms
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thurnheer
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schultes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007328:Insulin; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000410:Alanine Transaminase