title: Cross-sectional study: CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori infection, acute coronary artery disease and systemic levels of B-type natriuretic peptide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) determination is routinely used to evaluate the severity of congestive heart failure, a possible consequence of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD originates from vascular atherosclerotic processes and is stimulated by inflammatory events, which may also be triggered by chronic bacterial infections.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection upon systemic BNP, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and linear homology between cardiac peptides and H pylori.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 103 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of non-ST elevation acute CAD (ACAD) and no other concomitant pathology was examined. BNP was measured by a commercial solid-phase sandwich immunoradiometric assay. H pylori infection, CagA serological status and circulating levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, were determined by ELISA assays. Amino acid sequence homology between human cardiac and H pylori peptides was investigated by Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Circulating levels of BNP and IL-6, in pg/mL (interquartile difference), among infected patients with anti-CagA serum antibodies, respectively 781 (1899) and 37.7 (137.6), were significantly increased in respect to those measured in uninfected patients, respectively 325 (655) and 7.7 (23.5), (p<0.01 and p=0.025), and, with regard to BNP alone, also in patients infected by CagA negative H pylori strains, 305 (593), (p<0.01). TNF-α levels were raised in CagA positive in respect to uninfected patients. Tropomyosin and Ca2+ transporting ATPases showed strong similarities to H pylori proteins, suggesting the existence of molecular mimicry phenomena.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic infection by H pylori expressing CagA correlates with high circulating levels of BNP and IL-6 in patients with ACAD.
authors: Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Sciences, University of Siena and Policlinico S. Maria alle Scotte, , Siena, Italy.
authors: Natale
authors: N
authors: Figura
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Palazzuoli
authors: Dino
authors: D
authors: Vaira
authors: Mariastella
authors: M
authors: Campagna
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Moretti
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Iacoponi
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Giordano
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Clemente
authors: Ranuccio
authors: R
authors: Nuti
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Ponzetto
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
keywords: CYTOKINES; HEART; HELICOBACTER PYLORI; atherosclerosis