The effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on gastric juice and blood ammonia concentrations and on visual evoked potentials in cirrhotics

BACKGROUND

The primary source of ammonia is the gut. Ammonia can also be generated by the urease activity of Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of H. pylori eradication on blood and gastric juice ammonia levels and on visual evoked potential (VEP) recordings in cirrhotic patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male patients with cirrhosis and H. pylori infection were prospectively evaluated. All patients were given triple regimen for eradication for 10 days. Gastroscopy together with gastric juice sampling for ammonia and mucosal sampling for H. pylori status was performed before and after therapy. Gastric juice and blood ammonia levels were measured and VEP recordings were obtained before and after treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients were included in the study. Patients with overt clinical hepatic encephalopathy were excluded from the study. Twenty-four out of twenty-seven patients became H. pylori-negative after the treatment. Ammonia measurements and VEP recordings were evaluated in the 24 patients in whom eradication was successful. A slight but statistically significant decrease in blood and a considerable decrease in gastric juice ammonia levels were observed after treatment [from 44.23 micromol/l to 41.6 micromol/l compared with 3234 micromol/l to 2709 micromol/l, respectively (p <.05)] in patients in whom H. pylori was eradicated. VEP recordings were abnormal in 14 out of 24 patients before the treatment. Only four of these 14 patients with abnormal recordings showed improvement. (p > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Helicobacter pylori eradication in cirrhotics decreases blood and gastric juice ammonia concentrations whereas it does not provide an improvement in VEP recordings.