Dyspeptic Subjects Research Articles

Relationship between active Helicobacter pylori infection and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, a cross-sectional hospital-based study in a Sub-Saharan setting

BackgroundChronic inflammation has been reported as one of the novel coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. Knowing that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) provokes a local inflammation, the relationship between H. pylori infection and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has received considerable attention. However, the attempt to demonstrate the association between H. pylori and specific cardiovascular disease risk factors is always a challenging issue due to the conflicting reports in the literatures.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of 363 consecutive dyspeptic subjects in three reference health facilities in Cameroon from October 2020 to October 2021. Each participation gave a written consent and the study was approved by the local Ethical Committee. Check-up for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as dyslipidemia-related parameters, obesity-related parameter, high blood pressure as well as H. pylori detection was done for each participant. Data was analyzed using SSPS statistical package.ResultsHelicobacter pylori infection was significantly associated with higher total cholesterol level (OR: 2.3324, p = 0.0002) and higher LDL cholesterol level (OR: 2.3096, p = 0.0006). The crude OR of H. pylori status on the prevalence of high body mass index (BMI) was 1.0813 (p = 0.7300) and the adjusted OR for confounding factors was 1.1785 (p = 0.5095). The strength of the association between H. pylori infection and blood pressure, shows an OR of 1.3807 (p = 0.2991), 1.0060 (p = 0.9855) and 1.4646 (p = 0.2694) for diastolic pressure, hypertension and high heart rate respectively, while that of systolic pressure was 0.8135 (p = 0.4952). H. pylori infection is associated with dyslipidemia in our milieu.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with Dementia who underwent Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) and the effect of preventive single dose ceftrixone plus pantaprazole therapy on Helicobacter pylori infection

Objective: This was a retrospective study of the hospital database from April 2020 to January 2021 to reveal the rate of Helicobacter pylori infection among Dementia patients who underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) procedure. Other aim of this study is examine the effect of a single dose (two grams) intravenous ceftriaxone plus pantoprazole (40 mg) before PEG procedure on H.pylori infection in Dementia patients. Material and Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of hospital database from April 2020 to January 2021 examining the effect of using a single dose (two grams) of intravenous ceftriaxone plus pantoprazole (40 mg) on H.pylori infection in Dementia patients. A total of 77 patients, (43 (64%) of them were female) with Dementia were included whose 67 had previously been diagnosed as Dementia and underwent PEG procedure. The control group (67 subjects; 40 of them were female and the mean age was 75.8±11 years) was selected from age and gender-matched dyspeptic subjects who underwent endoscopy Results: While the mean age in the Dementia group was 75.8±12 years, the mean age of the control group was 77.8 ±11 years (p=0.054). There were also no gender differences between groups (p=0.594). While the mean levels of serum albumin, urea, creatinine, hemoglobin were significantly lower than control subjects (All p values were below 0.001), the mean of serum ferritin level was higher than control subjects (p<0.01). The presence of H.pylori on gastric biopsy specimens was significantly lower in the Dementia group compared to control subjects (19.4% versus 55.2%). Conclusion: Our study indicated that the rate of H.pylori infection was lower than estimated and using single-dose intravenous ceftriaxone at a dose of 2 grams could be beneficial for treating H.pylori infection in patients with Dementia who faced difficulties related to lack of swallowing many drugs against H.pylori infection.

Regional gastric emptying and gastric contractile activity in functional dyspepsia: new approach optimizing the consensus protocol

Consensus protocol organizes gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES). There is low adherence to the protocol, and its applicability is reduced due to poor connection between retention and functional disorders. To optimize the consensus protocol, we added a dynamic acquisition and quantification of distinct parameters for healthy and dyspeptic subjects. Fourteen patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and 20 healthy volunteers were undergone GES. The dynamic acquisition was added to the activity versus time curve composed of 4-time points (0, 60, 120, and 240 min) preconized. A dynamic set of 3060 images (1 Hz) were acquired between immediate and 60 min static images. Regions of interest were drawn to divide the stomach internally, and two gastric segmentations (similar areas and incisura) were adopted for all quantification of global GE and contractile parameters. Gastric retention at 4-time points preconized was not enough to identify differences between FD and healthy volunteers (R² = 0.99; p ˂ 0.0009). Retention percentage of test meal in the proximal stomach employing segmentation, T1/2, MGET and lag phase analysis were higher in dyspeptic compared to healthy volunteers. Impaired intragastric meal distribution was observed in FD by similar areas (p < 0.02) and incisura (p < 0.001). Reduction in the amplitude of contraction from the proximal region (p ˂ 0.015 and p ˂ 0.003) was observed in FD segmentation by similar areas and incisura, respectively. Impaired proximal stomach was observed in functional dyspepsia due to the insertion of dynamic acquisition proposed by consensus. Our approach can strengthen the consensus protocol and makes it capable of recognize and classify some diseases.

Dyspepsia in Montenegrin chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis: endoscopic and histopathological features.

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of dyspepsia and contributing factors in Montenegrin maintenance hemodialysis patients. The study included 43 patients undergoing hemodialysis with symptoms of dyspepsia and 40 control dyspeptic subjects with preserved kidney function. All subjects underwent an interview about dyspeptic symptoms, physical and biochemical examination, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with pathohistological analysis of biopsy specimens. Early satiety, bloating and heartburn were the most common symptoms in hemodialysis patients but without significant difference in frequency in relation to controls. Chronic kidney disease patients had statistically lower concentration of total proteins and albumin (p < 0.001), as well lower BMI values (p = 0.002). Despite this, no significant correlation of laboratory parameters with dyspeptic symptoms was found. Pathohistological examination indicated that the most common finding in hemodialysis patients was chronic active gastritis (58%), while chronic atrophic gastritis was significantly more common in dialytic patients (p = 0.032). Patients on hemodialysis had more frequently atrophy of corpus mucosa, which was positively related to dialysis duration (p = 0.001) and negatively related to pH values (p = 0.004) and bicarbonate concentration (p = 0.049). Helicobacter pylori was considerably more common in patients who underwent shorter time on hemodialysis (p < 0.001) and had higher values of bicarbonate (p = 0.037). Maintenance hemodialysis patients are at risk for chronic gastric diseases that correlated with both dialysis vintage and duration.

Evaluation of gastric endoscopic biopsy results in accordance with history of previous thyroidectomy

Objectives: This study aimed to establish a link between total thyroidectomy and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, which is one of the most implicated risk factors that cause gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) and is also a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Giresun University. We retrospectively reviewed gastric biopsies from 78 thyroidectomized patients (41 males, 37 females; mean age: 64.5±8.5 years; range, 29 to 79 years) in a single center. A control group of 150 subjects (45 males, 105 females; mean age: 59±7.5 years; range, 32 to 78 years) was selected from age-matched dyspeptic subjects with no history of thyroidectomy. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline sociodemographic characteristics between groups. Histopathological analysis of gastric biopsy specimens showed that the rate of H. pylori infection was found to be significantly lower in the thyroidectomized group (43.3% vs. %60.8; p&lt;0.05). Although in multivariate analysis the relationship between atrophic gastritis and thyroidectomy was not statistically significant (p=0.857), there was a stronger correlation between GIM and thyroidectomy compared to the control group (13.3% vs. 3.3%; p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing the gastric and endoscopic findings between thyroidectomized patients and those with non-thyroidectomized gastroesophageal reflux disease patients. Further studies are needed to determine a causal link between thyroidectomy and gastric intestinal metaplasia. Evidence has accumulated suggesting that autoimmune thyroid diseases increase the risk of gastric mucosal damage and adversely affect H. pylori status.

Endoscopic Findings in Patients With Uninvestigated Dyspepsia: A Retrospective Study From Qatar.

Background and objectiveDyspepsia is a common complaint encountered in general clinical practice. The prevalence of clinically significant endoscopy findings in dyspeptic subjects of various age groups and ethnicities in Qatar is not well studied. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of endoscopic findings in previously uninvestigated patients with dyspepsia.Patients and methodsWe retrospectively studied subjects older than 18 years of age who underwent endoscopy for dyspeptic complaints from January 2011 to December 2017. Subjects who already had peptic ulcer disease (PUD), those who underwent endoscopy for reasons other than dyspepsia, and those with incomplete data were excluded.ResultsA total of 824 subjects were reviewed for eligibility and 733 were included for analysis. The mean ±SD age of the study subjects was 42.7 ±13.5 years, and 59.5% of the subjects were male. Epigastric pain was the predominant symptom (79.2%) followed by heartburn (26.1%). Abnormal endoscopic findings were noted in 91.8% of subjects. Gastritis (65.5%) and oesophagitis (33.1%) were the most common findings observed. The overall prevalence of gastric ulcers was 4.6%, and it was higher in subjects who were more than 60 years of age (14.1%, p=0.001). Gastric carcinoma was seen in only four (0.54%) subjects.ConclusionGastritis was the most common endoscopic finding observed followed by oesophagitis. The most common presenting symptoms were epigastric pain and heartburn. The prevalence of gastric ulcers was significantly high in patients above 60 years of age, and the incidence of gastric carcinoma was low in the study population.

ANEMIA;

Objectives: To estimate the frequency of H. pylori infection among dyspeptic patients with anemia.Period: From 23th Oct 2016 to 23th Apr 2017. Setting:Inpatients and out patients department of Gastroenterology, LiaquatNational Hospital Karachi.Patients and Methods:All the patients with dyspepsia had iron deficiency for 6 or more than 6 months were enrolled in this study and underwent for esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) &amp; biopsy to find out H Pylori Gastritis. The data saved and analyzed in SPSS 16.Results:A total 129 patients were included in our study.59 (45.7%) were female and 70 (54.3%) were male. 53 patients (41.1%) were single, while 76 (58.9%) were married.Mean duration of dyspepsia was 5.03±1.24 months, while mean duration of iron deficiency anemia was 4.54±1.10 months. 62 (48.1%) were smokers, 39 (30.2%) had history of alcohol intake. 39 (30.2%) were illiterate, while 90 (69.8%) were literate. H. Pylori infection on gastric biopsy was seen in 63 patients (48.8%). Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori using biopsy based methods among dyspeptic subjects is high in our population.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in sexual partners of H. pylori-infected subjects: Role of gastroesophageal reflux.

Helicobacter pylori is transmitted through faecal-oral or oral-oral routes. Whether H. pylori infection is more prevalent in sexual partners of H. pylori-infected subjects is unclear. We evaluated 1) the prevalence of H. pylori infection in sexual partners of H. pylori-infected subjects; and 2) whether presence of gastroesophageal reflux in H. pylori-infected subjects was associated with transmission of infection to their sexual partners. We evaluated H. pylori infection by 13C Urea Breath Test in sexual partners of 161 consecutive patients with H. pylori-related dyspepsia. The case-control group consisted of 161 dyspeptic subjects undergoing the 13C Urea Breath Test. The prevalence of reflux symptoms was noted through the Leeds scale. The role of gastroesophageal reflux in transmission of H. pylori infection was evaluated by binary logistic regression. A two-tailed p value of 0.05 or less was considered significant. Prevalence of H. pylori infection in sexual partners of H. pylori-infected subjects is 74.5% whereas prevalence of H. pylori infection in the control group is 32.3%, p<0.05. At the logistic regression analysis, the presence of reflux symptoms in H. pylori-infected subjects is independently associated with concomitant infection in both members of the couple (odds ratio 4.41, 95% confidence interval 1.6-12.3) and with length of cohabitation (odds ratio 2.39, 95% confidence interval 1.0-5.7). The prevalence of H. pylori infection is significantly higher in sexual partners of H. pylori-infected subjects than in controls. Members of a couple are four times more likely to be both H. pylori infected if one of the couple has reflux symptoms.

Correlation between the expressions of leptin and its receptors (ObR,sObR) in gastric cancer / Mide kanserinde leptin ve reseptörlerinin (ObR, sObR) ekspresyonları arasındaki korelasyon

Abstract Objective: The expressions of leptin and its receptor (ObR) have been observed in human gastric cancer (GC) tissue. Leptin can promote the proliferation of GC cells. However, the correlation between leptin and ObR expressions in GC and the role of gastric ObR protein levels in patients with GC is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between leptin, gastric ObR protein and soluble leptin receptor (sObR) levels and whether their possible role of indicator in GC. Methods: Serum leptin, gastric leptin and serum sObR concentrations were determined in 30 male patients with GC and 25 male dyspeptic subjects by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. We analysed the expression of gastric ObR levels in endoscopically obtained biopsy samples by using Western Blotting method. Results: Compared with controls, patients had lower serum leptin and higher gastric tissue leptin levels. sObR protein concentrations of patients were detected significantly higher, gastric ObR protein expression were lower than subjects in control group. Conclusion: Leptin in gastric cancerous region and sObR in circulation are overexpressed in GC. Their expressions are associated with malignancy. Decreased leptin levels, induces the sObR signal in circulation. This negative feedback regulation is also seen in gastric tissue: increased gastric tissue leptin levels inhibits gastric ObR protein expression. Thus,leptin and ObR may be important indicators in GC.

Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with selective immunoglobulin a deficiency.

Selective immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency (IgAD) is the most common primary immunodeficiency in the western world. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of Helicobacter pylori-infected dyspeptic patients with IgAD. Case samples were drawn from all subjects ≥12 years of age (n=104729) who had undergone serum total IgA measurements during 2004-14 for any reason at Leumit Healthcare Services (Israel) and had serum total IgA <0·07 g/l. The control group was comprised of a random sample of remaining patients with a case-control ratio of 10 controls for each case. The dyspeptic diseases were identified and retrieved from Leumit Health Care Services electronic database using specific ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. The case group included 347 subjects and the control group 3470 subjects. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of patients with dyspepsia [84 (24·2%) versus 821 (23·6%) for cases and controls, respectively]. Additionally, there was no difference in a proportion of dyspeptic H. pylori-positive subjects [59 (17·1%) versus 524 (15·1%)] between the case and control groups. Only 59 (17%) among the 347 IgAD patients underwent gastroscopy. A significantly larger proportion of case subjects experienced several forms of gastritis [13 (61·9%) versus 38 (21·6%), P < 0·001), duodenal ulcers [seven (33·3%) versus 19 (10·8%); P=0·01] and nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) [two (9·5%) versus none; P=0·011]. IgAD is not associated with increased prevalence of H. pylori-associated dyspepsia; nevertheless, H. pylori-infected dyspeptic IgAD subjects experience more EGD-proved gastritis, duodenal ulcers and NLH.

The use of Benincasa hispida for the treatment of uninvestigated dyspepsia: Preliminary results of a non-randomised open label pilot clinical trial

BackgroundDyspepsia is becoming a common health problem for which an individual seeks medical help. The approach to the management of dyspepsia is complex with high treatment costs and possible adverse effects. MethodsA prospective pilot study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the fruit juice of Ash Gourd (Benincasa hispida) on twenty dyspeptic subjects, who were followed up for 45 days. Measures of retrosternal pain, post-prandial fullness, bloating, sour belching, nausea, vomiting and changes in bowel habits were taken at three times periods (baseline, 30 days and 45 days). ResultsStatistically significant improvements were seen in several parameters, including pain (p<0.001), retrosternal burning (p<0.001), nausea (p<0.001), belching (p<0.001) and bowel habits (p<0.05), which are considered as the classical symptoms of dyspepsia. Bloating, though not a common symptom also improved (p<0.001) over time. ConclusionThe trial drug is an effective remedy for uninvestigated dyspepsia. Randomised controlled trials are further needed to confirm the pharmaco-dynamics of the trial drug for anti-ulcer, acid suppression, H2 receptor antagonistic, anti-cholinergic properties.

Molecular Identification of Giardia intestinalis in Patients with Dyspepsia

Background/Aims:Giardia intestinalis triggers symptoms of functional dyspepsia. The aim of this study was to distinguish genotypes of G. intestinalis isolated from dyspeptic patients to evaluate their correlation with dyspeptic symptoms. Methods: In total, 120 dyspeptic subjects were investigated by upper endoscopy, including gastric and duodenal biopsies for histopathological examination, and parasitological examination of their stools and duodenal aspirates was performed. The patients were classified into five groups: group I (G. intestinalis) included 19 patients, group II (Helicobacter pylori) included 36 patients, group III (coeliac disease) included 3 patients, group IV (mixed G. intestinalis and H. pylori infection) included 4 patients, and group V (unexplained aetiology) included 58 patients. Genotyping of G. intestinalis was performed for groups I and IV using PCR-RFLP. The urease test was performed for H. pylori. Serum anti-gliadin, anti-endomysial and anti-transglutaminase antibody estimation was performed for the diagnosis of coeliac disease. Results: Genotype A of G. intestinalis was detected in the stool samples of 68.42% (13/19) and the duodenal aspirates of 42.1% (8/19) of dyspeptic patients harbouring the parasite. Genotype B was detected in 31.58% (6/19) of cases in stool samples and in 3 cases in duodenal aspirates. Conclusions:H. pylori, G. intestinalis and coeliac disease are common causes of dyspepsia. G. intestinalis genotype A demonstrated a greater association with dyspeptic symptoms.

Helicobacter pylori – HIV co-infection and dyspepsia

Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most frequent causes of dyspepsia in the general population. As gastro-intestinal symptoms are a common complaint among HIV-positive persons, the purpose of the present study is to assess the role of Helicobacter pylori infection in this category of patients. We performed a retrospective, case-control study on two groups of HIV-infected patients admitted to the Infectious Diseases Clinic I, Tirgu-Mures and tested for Helicobacter pylori infection by stool antigen detection: group A – 36 dyspeptic subjects and group B – 5 patients without dyspeptic complaints. We compared the two groups from the point of view of the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection. Statistical analysis of data was performed with the help of GraphPad programme. 4 (11.11%) HIV-positive patients with dyspeptic symptoms tested positive for Helicobacter pylori infection, while none of the patients in group B was diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori infection (p=1.0000, OR=1.523). Although none of the asymptomatic patients in our study was diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori, the absence of a statistically significant association between Helicobacter pylori infection and dyspepsia among HIV-positive patients may suggest that other etiologies should be searched in HIV-infected patients with gastro-intestinal complaints.

Dyspepsia is strongly associated with major depression and generalised anxiety disorder ‐ a community study

The relationship between dyspepsia and psychiatric comorbidity such as anxiety and depression is poorly defined. Previous studies have been limited by lack of standardised diagnostic criteria. To examine the prevalence and comorbidity of dyspepsia as defined by Rome III (6-month duration) with DSM-IV-TR generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive episodes (MDE) in the general population. A random population-based telephone survey was done using a questionnaire on symptoms of Rome III Dyspepsia, DSM-IV-TR GAD and MDE and their chronological relationship. Of the 2011 respondents 8.0% currently had Rome III Dyspepsia, 3.8% reported GAD and 12.4% reported MDE respectively. Dyspeptic subjects had a twofold increased risk of GAD (OR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.06-3.89, P<0.001) and a threefold increased risk of MDE (OR=3.56, 95% CI: 2.33-5.43, P<0.001). MDE and GAD most often coincided with dyspepsia in onset. Dyspepsia (OR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.65-3.72 P<0.001), MDE (OR=2.39, 95% CI: 1.64-3.46, P<0.001) and female sex (OR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.21-2.23, P<0.001) independently predicted frequent medical consultations. GAD independently predicted high investigation expenditure (OR=4.65, 95% CI: 1.15-18.70, P=0.03). With stringently adopted Rome III and DSM-IV-TR criteria, dyspepsia was strongly associated and often coincident in onset with generalised anxiety disorder and major depressive episodes in the community. Excessive healthcare utilisation should alert clinicians to risk of psychiatric comorbidity.

A clinicopathological study of dyspeptic subjects in Lagos, Nigeria

The clinicopathological and endoscopic features of dyspepsia have not been well studied in Nigeria due to the high cost of gastroscopes and lack of the relevant expertise. This study was designed to highlight these features and possible risk factors. This prospective study was conducted on adult dyspeptic patients who fulfilled the study criteria from November 2007 to December 2008 at a University hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Demographic and clinical presentation including possible risk factors were obtained through a questionnaire administered by an interviewer followed by an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and gastric biopsy. Of the 123 subjects who took part in the study, 100 gave their consent to an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy. The male:female ratio was 1:1, mean age was 44.98 (SD 15.4) years and the modal age group was 38-47years. The prevalence of dyspepsia was 29% and epigastric pain was the most common presentation. Endoscopic findings were superficial mucosal lesion (21%), peptic ulcer (16%), features of gastroesophageal reflux disease (10%), and gastric cancer (2%), as well normal findings (44%). Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) use as a risk factor had a significant association with positive endoscopic findings; relative risk for development of positive endoscopic findings was 1.5% (P =0.03). Histology showed rates of chronic gastritis to be 91% and normal values 9%. The most common type of gastritis was the non-specific form (59.3%), followed by H. Pylori-associated gastritis (36.3%). The topography of gastritis was mainly pangastritis (68.1%) and antral predominant in 23.1%. The prevalence of H. pylori by histology was 41%. The presence of H. pylori was not associated with severity, location or duration of symptoms. H. pylori was, however, found to be a significant contributor to the development of positive endoscopic findings (P=0.01; OR 2.92 95% CI 1.50-3.17). Alarm symptoms were found to be important markers of malignancy. Dyspeptic illness is common,with peak incidence in the 4th decade of life and no gender predilection. Epigastric pain has the most discriminatory value with alarm symptoms in cases of gastric cancer. Risk factors such as NSAID use and H. pylori infection had a very significant impact on endoscopic findings while presence of H. pylori, smoking and alcohol consumption were associated with increased risk of developing chronic gastritis.

Endothelial Dysfunction Is Reversible in Helicobacter Pylori-Positive Subjects

Background Studies have shown an association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and atherosclerosis. Although epidemiological studies have suggested an association between HP infection and atherosclerosis, the issue is still controversial. It is not clear whether HP eradication will reverse endothelial damage and prevent cardiovascular events. Methods Thirty-one dyspeptic subjects (16 men, 15 women; 50.8 ± 16.7 years) were diagnosed as HP positive using histopathological evaluation. Eleven dyspeptic subjects (5 men, 6 women; 55.4 ± 9.3 years) were negative to HP (controls). Interleukin-6 level and vascular measurements (ankle brachial index and flow-mediated diameter percent change) were done twice: on entry and 3 months afterwards. HP-positive subjects were treated with the triple therapy. Results Thirty-one HP-positive subjects (50.8 ± 16.7 years, 16 men, weight 79.6 ± 14.8 kg, height 1.70 ± 0.1 m, body mass index [BMI] 27.5 ± 4.4, waist circumference 97.6 ± 16.7 cm) were treated accordingly. There were 11 HP-negative subjects (controls) (55.4 ± 9.3 years, 5 men, weight 83.4 ± 16.8 kg, height 1.68 ± 0.1 m, BMI 29.6 ± 6.1, waist circumference 104.4 ± 13.7 cm). No difference in age ( P = .27), weight ( P = .51), height ( P = .50), BMI ( P = .30), or waist circumference ( P = .20) was observed. HP-positive subjects had severe endothelial dysfunction (−1.26 ± 8.4%) that improved after treatment (8.4 ± 9.0%) ( P = .001). HP-negative subjects had endothelial dysfunction (1.9 ± 9.7%) that was not improved (5.6 ± 8.3%) ( P = .41). Interleukin-6 levels in serum were not elevated in HP-positive subjects before or after HP eradication (8.4 ± 17.5 vs 13.5 ± 30.7 pg/mL; P = .45). Conclusions The novel finding of our study was that HP eradication can improve endothelial dysfunction.

Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque; is it related to brushing frequency, plaque load and oral health status?

To determine the relation between presence of H. pylori in supra-gingival dental plaque with oral hygiene habits and oral health status of patients suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia. Descriptive study. The Department of Oral Health Sciences, Shaikh Zayed FPGMI, Lahore, from September 2008 to August 2009. One hundred and fifty dyspeptic subjects with dental plaque were enrolled. After recording brushing frequency, oral health status and plaque load, the supra-gingival dental plaque samples were collected by sterile curettes. Helicobacter pylori were detected in dental plaque samples through PCR assay. Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be 37.5% in the sample. Most of the subjects brushed once daily, had plaque index score of 1 and had fair to poor oral hygiene status. Approximately 35% of the individuals who brushed once or twice a day harbored the bacterium in their dental plaque. There was no difference between bacterial detection rates among different categories of plaque index and oral health status of the study subjects. Presence of H. pylori in dental plaque was found to be associated with neither brushing frequency nor with the plaque load nor with the oral health status of individuals suffering from symptomatic dyspepsia.

Density of ghrelin-producing cells is higher in the gastric mucosa of morbidly obese patients

Ghrelin is a peptide mainly secreted by gastric mucosa and has been implicated in the regulation of eating behavior and weight balance. Obesity and Helicobacter pylori infection are associated with changes in plasma ghrelin levels. This study was designed to evaluate the density of ghrelin-producing cells in the gastric mucosa of morbidly obese and dyspeptic non-obese patients, with and without H. pylori infection. Gastric biopsies of the antral and oxyntic mucosa were obtained from 50 morbidly obese patients (BMI >40, 21 with metabolic syndrome (MS)), 17 dyspeptic overweight subjects (25<BMI<30), and 33 lean individuals (BMI<25) and processed for histology and immunohistochemistry. Ghrelin-immunoreactive cell densities in the oxyntic mucosa were similar in morbidly obese patients with MS and in overweight and lean patients, whereas morbidly obese patients without MS presented higher ghrelin-immunoreactive cell density. The number of ghrelin cells in the oxyntic mucosa was significantly lower in obese and non-obese H. pylori-infected subjects. Ghrelin-immunoreactive cells, although sparse in the antral mucosa, were found more frequently in obese patients and their numbers did not seem to be affected by H. pylori infection. The higher expression of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in the oxyntic mucosa of morbidly obese patients compared with non-obese subjects or with morbidly obese subjects with MS and the finding of a higher number of small foci of ghrelin cells in the antral mucosa of obese patients may indicate an adaptive mechanism or an individual factor to be considered in the pathogenesis of obesity.

Comparison of Continuous Breath Test (CBT) Versus Gastric Scintigraphy (GS) for Gastric Emptying Rate (GER) Measurement in Healthy and Dyspeptic Subjects

Comparison of Continuous Breath Test (CBT) Versus Gastric Scintigraphy (GS) for Gastric Emptying Rate (GER) Measurement in Healthy and Dyspeptic Subjects

Laboratory parameters and nutritional status in patients with functional dyspepsia

Background To investigate differences in laboratory markers, nutritional status parameters and eating patterns among newly diagnosed patients with functional dyspepsia. Method The investigation was performed on 180 newly diagnosed patients with functional dyspepsia, aged 20–79, which were referred to the gastroenterology unit of the Clinical and Hospital Center “Bezanijska Kosa” from April to October 2009. Rome II criteria were used for further classification. Results ANOVA Bonferroni post hoc correction outlined that concentrations of serum magnesium and calcium were significantly lower in subjects with ulcer-like dyspepsia, while vitamin B12, glucose and immunoglobulin G level was significantly higher in group with dismotility-like dyspepsia. Statistical analysis revealed that the numbers of meal taken per day were significantly different. There was a statistical trend to skipping meals and to eat fast in patients with ulcer-like and dismotility-like functional dyspepsia when compared with non-specific dyspeptic subjects. Conclusion Patients with ulcer-like functional dyspepsia suffered from epigastric pain and burning and from heartburn, while persons with dismotility-like dyspepsia were complaining about postprandial fullness, bloating and early satiety. They skipped meals more frequently and avoided intake of certain supplies which, together with eating habits, provoked or emphasized the annoying symptoms.