Association of elevation of anti- helicobacter pylori antibody with myocardial ischemic events in coronary artery disease

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence supporting the concept that inflammation plays an important role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and its complications. 1 Anderson J.L. Carlquist J.F. Muhlestein J.B. Horne B.D. Elmer S.P. Evaluation of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker, and infectious serology as risk factors for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998; 32: 35-41 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (208) Google Scholar , 2 Liuzzo G. Biasucci L.M. Gallimore J.R. Grillo R.L. Rebuzzi A.G. Pepys M.B. Maseri A. The prognostic value of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A protein in severe unstable angina. N Engl J Med. 1994; 331: 417-424 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2095) Google Scholar Previous studies 1 Anderson J.L. Carlquist J.F. Muhlestein J.B. Horne B.D. Elmer S.P. Evaluation of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker, and infectious serology as risk factors for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1998; 32: 35-41 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (208) Google Scholar , 3 Berliner J.A. Navab M. Fogelman A.M. Frank J.S. Demer L.L. Edwards P.A. Watson A.D. Lusis A.J. Atherosclerosis. Basic mechanisms. Circulation. 1995; 91: 2488-2496 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1574) Google Scholar have demonstrated that there are infectious and noninfectious factors that may drive the inflammatory activities in coronary artery disease (CAD). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gram-negative, flagellate bacillus that is associated with peptic ulcer disease and gastric malignancy. 4 Danesh J. Collins R. Peto R. Chronic infections and coronary heart disease is there a link?. Lancet. 1997; 350: 430-436 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1150) Google Scholar The relation between H. pylori infection and CAD has been studied extensively. 5 Mendall M.A. Goggin P.M. Molineaux N. Levy J. Toosy T. Strachan D. Camm A.J. Northfield T.C. Relation of Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary heart disease. Br Heart J. 1994; 71: 437-439 Crossref PubMed Scopus (608) Google Scholar , 6 Patel P. Mendall M.A. Carrington D. Strachan D.P. Leatham E. Molineaux N. Levy J. Blakeston C. Seymour C.A. Camm A.J. Northfield T.C. Association of Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae infections with coronary heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors. BMJ. 1995; 311: 711-714 Crossref PubMed Scopus (564) Google Scholar , 7 Murray L.J. Bamford K.B. O’Reilly D.P.J. McCrum E.E. Evans A.E. Helicobacter pylori infection relation with cardiovascular risk factors, ischemic heart disease, and social class. Br Heart J. 1995; 74: 497-501 Crossref PubMed Scopus (161) Google Scholar , 8 Pasceri V. Cammarota G. Patti G. Cuoco L. Gasbarrini A. Grillo R.L. Fedeli G. Gasbarrini G. Maseri A. Association of virulent Helicobacter pylori strain with ischemic heart disease. Circulation. 1998; 97: 1675-1679 Crossref PubMed Scopus (287) Google Scholar Nevertheless, the effect of H. pylori infection on the long-term outcome of patients with CAD remains unknown. Because serum level of specific anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G (anti-H. pylori IgG) antibody is a reliable indicator of chronic H. pylori infection, 9 Westblom T.U. Barthel J.S. Kosunen T.U. Everett E.D. Serum IgG and IgA antibody responses to Campylobacter pylori in a group of healthy asymptomatic volunteers. Scand J Infect Dis. 1989; 21: 311-314 Crossref PubMed Scopus (6) Google Scholar , 10 Danesh J. Is there a link between chronic Helicobacter pylori infection and coronary heart disease?. Eur J Surg. 1998; 582: 27-31 Google Scholar we evaluated the serum concentrations of anti-H. pylori IgG antibody among patients with CAD in this study to determine whether H. pylori infection was a predictor for subsequent ischemic events during follow-up.