title: Helicobacter pylori infection in obesity and its clinical outcome after bariatric surgery.
abstract: The present review summarizes the prevalence and active clinical problems in obese patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, as well as the outcomes after bariatric surgery in this patient population. The involvement of H. pylori in the pathophysiology of obesity is still debated. It may be that the infection is protective against obesity, because of the gastritis-induced decrease in production and secretion of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin. However, recent epidemiological studies have failed to show an association between H. pylori infection and reduced body mass index. H. pylori infection might represent a limiting factor in the access to bariatric bypass surgery, even if high-quality evidence indicating the advantages of preoperative H. pylori screening and eradication is lacking. The clinical management of infection is complicated by the lower eradication rates with standard therapeutic regimens reported in obese patients than in the normal-weight population. Prospective clinical studies to ameliorate both H. pylori eradication rates and control the clinical outcomes of H. pylori infection after different bariatric procedures are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Marilia Carabotti, Chiara D'Ercole, Enrico Corazziari, Carola Severi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, 00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Marilia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carabotti
authors.affiliation: Marilia Carabotti, Chiara D'Ercole, Enrico Corazziari, Carola Severi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, 00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: D'Ercole
authors.affiliation: Marilia Carabotti, Chiara D'Ercole, Enrico Corazziari, Carola Severi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, 00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iossa
authors.affiliation: Marilia Carabotti, Chiara D'Ercole, Enrico Corazziari, Carola Severi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, 00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corazziari
authors.affiliation: Marilia Carabotti, Chiara D'Ercole, Enrico Corazziari, Carola Severi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, 00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Silecchia
authors.affiliation: Marilia Carabotti, Chiara D'Ercole, Enrico Corazziari, Carola Severi, Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University Sapienza, 00161 Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Severi
mesh_terms: D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Bariatric surgery; Ghrelin; Helicobacter pylori; Obesity