Potential role of Helicobacter pylori infection in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Accumulating evidence has implicated Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in extragastrointestinal diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease. Recently, there has been a special focus on H. pylori infection as a risk factor for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is currently considered to be the most common liver disorder in western countries, and is rapidly becoming a serious threat to public health. The mechanisms of pathogenesis underlying NAFLD remain unclear at present and therapeutic options are limited. The growing awareness of the role of H. pylori in NAFLD is thus important to aid the development of novel intervention and prevention strategies, because the eradication of H. pylori is easy and much less expensive than long-term treatment of the other risk factors. H. pylori infection is involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance (IR), which is closely linked with NAFLD. It provides a new insight into the pathogenesis of NAFLD. This review probes the possible relationship between H. pylori and NAFLD, from the perspective of the potential mechanism of how H. pylori infection brings about IR and other aspects concerning this correlation.
Meng Li, Zhe Shen, You-Ming Li, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
Meng
M
Li
Zhe
Z
Shen
You-Ming
YM
Li
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Cytokines; Helicobacter pylori; Inflammation; Insulin resistance; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease