Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Adults

Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with type 2 diabetes

The last three decades have witnessed a rapid rise in the number of people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and China has the largest population of diabetes in the world. Patients with T2MD are more susceptible to a variety of infections due to impaired host immunity. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) hosted in the human stomach is the pathogen of a series of gastric and extragastric diseases, and has infected > 50% of the world population. H. pylori infection is rapidly becoming a serious threat to public health. Epidemiological surveys have indicated an obvious relationship between H. pylori and diabetes. H. pylori infection in T2MD cases can induce systemic inflammation, increase the risk of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy, and is associated closely with the micro- and macro-vascular complications. Chronic H. pylori infection may have a harmful impact on pancreatic β-cells and may be a risk factor for T2MD and insulin resistance. Treatment of H. pylori infection and control of T2MD are becoming increasingly challenging due largely to the huge population of patients with the two diseases and to the relative complexity of treatment regimens. Further clinical and basic studies are needed to control H. pylori infection and T2MD effectively.

The Association between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Chronic Hepatitis C: A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Purpose. Helicobacter pylori is a common gastric disease-inducing pathogen. Although an increasing number of recent studies have shown that H. pylori is a risk factor for liver disease, the potential association between H. pylori infection and chronic hepatitis C still remains controversial. The aim of our meta-analysis was to evaluate a potential association between H. pylori infection and chronic hepatitis C. Methods. We searched the PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases between January 1, 1994, and May 1, 2015. Results. This study included a total of 1449 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 2377 control cases. The prevalence of H. pylori was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C than in those without chronic hepatitis C. The pooled odds ratio was 2.93. In a subgroup analysis, the odds ratios were 4.48 for hepatitis C virus- (HCV-) related cirrhosis and 5.45 for hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion. Our study found a strong association between H. pylori and chronic hepatitis C, particularly during the HCV progression stage; thus, we recommend active screening for H. pylori in patients with chronic hepatitis C.