Impact of serum sodium levels on Helicobacter pylori infection

Abstract

Objective: Excessive salt consumption could play a role for developing gastric cancer as well as Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. However, there is no report about the connection between serum sodium levels and HP infection. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum sodium disorders and HP infection. Material and Methods: In this single-center, retrospective, descriptive study, we evaluated the presence of HP infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) among patient with serum sodium disturbances. Patients were divided into two groups as to their serum sodium levels (hypernatremia: Sodium level above 145 mmol/l, and hyponatremia: Sodium level below 135 mmol/l). Results: In total, 54 patients, half of them were hypernatremic (27), included in the study. At total, 15 (55.6%) patients tested positive for HP immunoglobulin G (Ig G) by ELISA method in hyponatremic patients, 17 (63%) patients tested positive for HP Ig G in hypernatremic patients. There was no difference between groups in terms of HP Ig G seropositivity (p=0.58). Other hand, 9 (33%) patients tested positive for HP Ig A among hyponatremic patients, 19 (70%) patients tested positive for HP Ig A in hypernatremic patients (p=0.029). Conclusion: According to our results, Hypernatremic patients have high risk for HP infection. Other hand, the presence of HP infection could be a driven-factor in the development of hypernatremia among elderly patients. Larger-scale studies are needed to reveal the relationship between hypernatremia and gastroenteritis.