The influence of Helicobacter pylori on the ethnic distribution of Barrett's metaplasia

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with reduced risk of Barrett's esophagus: a meta-analysis and systematic review

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a class I carcinogen in gastric carcinogenesis, but its role in Barrett's esophagus (BE) is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to explore the possible relationship.

METHODS

We reviewed observational studies published in English until October 2019. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for included studies.

RESULTS

46 studies from 1505 potential citations were eligible for inclusion. A significant inverse relationship with considerable heterogeneity was found between Hp (OR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.96; P = 0.03) and BE, especially the CagA-positive Hp strain (OR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.15-0.54; P = 0.0002). However, Hp infection prevalence was not significantly different between patients with BE and the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) control (OR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.82-1.19; P = 0.92). Hp was negatively correlated with long-segment BE (OR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.25-0.90; P = 0.02) and associated with a reduced risk of dysplasia. However, Hp had no correlated with short-segment BE (OR = 1.11; 95% CI, 0.78-1.56; P = 0.57). In the present infected subgroup, Hp infection prevalence in BE was significantly lower than that in controls (OR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.54-0.89; P = 0.005); however, this disappeared in the infection history subgroup (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.43-1.78; P = 0.73).

CONCLUSIONS

Hp, especially the CagA-positive Hp strain, and BE are inversely related with considerable heterogeneity, which is likely mediated by a decrease in GERD prevalence, although this is not observed in the absence of current Hp infection.

Association of toll-like receptor 4, 5 and 10 polymorphisms with Helicobacter pylori-positive peptic ulcer disease in a center in Jordan

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori infection is widespread, affecting about 50% of the global population. Polymorphisms in host genes such as the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) might affect the susceptibility and severity of infection and treatment success.

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the susceptibility and severity of H pylori infection with host TLR4 (rs11536889, rs4986790, rs200109652, rs10759932), TLR5 (rs5744174, rs2072493, rs746250566), TLR10 (rs559182335, rs10004195) polymorphisms.

DESIGN

Analytical, cross-sectional.

SETTING

Endoscopy clinic at tertiary care center.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues collected from H pylori-infected patients and healthy individuals. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the targeted TLR genes were genotyped to assess the genetic association of various SNPs with disease severity.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Effect of genotype distribution on H pylori infection.

SAMPLE SIZE

250 peptic ulcer patients and 217 controls.

RESULTS

The TLR10 genotype showed no significant association with H pylori infection except for rs10004195 (T>A) (P=.002). The genotype frequency of Rs5744174 in TLR5 had a significant association with the presence of H pylori infection (P=.046, OR=0.52). Except for gender (P=.022), there were no significant associations between clinical and demographic variables and SNPs relating to the severity of the H pylori infections.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are consistent with differences in severity of H pylori infection due to TLR SNPs in different ethnic groups. Understanding differences in genetic susceptibility could help in classifying patients and matching patients with various treatment options on a genetic basis.

LIMITATIONS

Lack of H pylori pathogenicity features assessment.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

None.

Association of CYP2C19, TNF-α, NOD1, NOD2, and PPARγ polymorphisms with peptic ulcer disease enhanced by Helicobacter pylori infection

OBJECTIVES

To assess the correlation between a number of genetic variations of CYP2C19, TNF-α, NOD1, NOD2, and PPARγ genes with the severity of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections and peptic ulcers (PU).

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional design was used in this study. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was used to extract genomic DNA that was collected from Jordanian patients who visited endoscopy clinics between 2014 to 2018 at the King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH), Irbid, Jordan. Genotyping of the studied single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were applied using the sequencing protocol. Results:  A total of 251 patients (mean age: 42.12 ± 16.09 years) and healthy controls (mean age: 52.76 ± 19.45 years) were enrolled in this study. This study showed no significant association between patients and the studied polymorphisms except for rs2075820 of the NOD1 (p=0.0046). It is hypothesized that the heterozygous genotype (TC); 44.8% in patients versus 61.3% in controls has a decreased risk of peptic ulcers (OR:  0.49). The alleles frequency association was insignificant in all studied SNPs with a p-value more than 0.05.

CONCLUSION

This study provided evidence regarding the association of the rs2075820 with H. pylori infections. The other studied SNPs were not statistically significant.

Helicobacter pylori Related Diseases and Osteoporotic Fractures (Narrative Review)

Osteoporosis (OP) and osteoporotic fractures (OFs) are common multifactorial and heterogenic disorders of increasing incidence. Helicobacter pylori (H.p.) colonizes the stomach approximately in half of the world's population, causes gastroduodenal diseases and is prevalent in numerous extra-digestive diseases known to be associated with OP/OF. The studies regarding relationship between H.p. infection (HPI) and OP/OFs are inconsistent. The current review summarizes the relevant literature on the potential role of HPI in OP, falls and OFs and highlights the reasons for controversies in the publications. In the first section, after a brief overview of HPI biological features, we analyze the studies evaluating the association of HPI and bone status. The second part includes data on the prevalence of OP/OFs in HPI-induced gastroduodenal diseases (peptic ulcer, chronic/atrophic gastritis and cancer) and the effects of acid-suppressive drugs. In the next section, we discuss the possible contribution of HPI-associated extra-digestive diseases and medications to OP/OF, focusing on conditions affecting both bone homeostasis and predisposing to falls. In the last section, we describe clinical implications of accumulated data on HPI as a co-factor of OP/OF and present a feasible five-step algorithm for OP/OF risk assessment and management in regard to HPI, emphasizing the importance of an integrative (but differentiated) holistic approach. Increased awareness about the consequences of HPI linked to OP/OF can aid early detection and management. Further research on the HPI-OP/OF relationship is needed to close current knowledge gaps and improve clinical management of both OP/OF and HPI-related disorders.

Interaction Between Ethnicity and Helicobacter pylori Infection in the Occurrence of Reflux Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Few reports are available to reliably assess the ethnic distribution of Barrett metaplasia and reflux esophagitis. The present study served to analyze the joint influence of Helicobacter pylori infection and patient demographics on the diagnoses of Barrett metaplasia and reflux esophagitis.

METHODS

The Inform Diagnostics database is a national electronic repository of histopathologic records of patients distributed throughout the United States. In a case-control study of 52,096 cases with Barrett metaplasia, 189,235 cases with reflux esophagitis, and 152,322 controls without any signs or symptoms suggestive of gastroesophageal reflux disease, we assessed the influence of age, gender, ethnicity, and H. pylori status on occurrence of Barrett metaplasia or reflux esophagitis.

RESULTS

Barrett metaplasia was less common among East Asians (with odds ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.44-0.53) and Hispanics (0.60, 0.57-0.63) than other ethnic groups living in the United States. Reflux esophagitis was also less common among East Asians (0.86, 0.82-0.90), but more common among Hispanics (1.18, 1.14-1.21). Both types of esophageal disease were associated with a lower prevalence rates of gastric H. pylori infection than controls, with 0.48, 0.44-0.53 for Barrett metaplasia and 0.60, 0.57-0.63 for reflux esophagitis. The prevalence rates of gastric H. pylori and both esophageal diseases were greater in older than younger and male than female patients in all ethnic groups alike.

CONCLUSIONS

Gastric H. pylori infection, ethnicity, gender, and age all influence the occurrence of Barrett metaplasia, and reflux esophagitis.

Incidence and Survival Changes in Patients with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma during 1984-2013

Purpose

The morbidity of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has significantly increased in Western countries. We aimed to identify trends in incidence and survival in patients with EAC in the recent 30 years and then analyzed potential risk factors, including race, sex, age, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods

All data were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results or SEER database. Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model were conducted to compare the differences in survival between variables, including sex, race, age, and SES, as well as to evaluate the association of these factors with prognosis.

Results

A total of 16,474 patients with EAC were identified from 1984 to 2013 in the United States. Overall incidence increased every 10 years from 1.8 to 3.1 to 3.9 per 100. Overall survival gradually improved (p < 0.0001), which was evident in male patients ((hazard ratio (HR) = 1.111; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.07, 1.15)); however, the 5-year survival rate remained low (20.1%). The Cox proportional hazards model identified old age, black ethnicity, and medium/high poverty as risk factors for EAC (HR = 1.018; 95% CI (1.017, 1.019; HR = 1.240, 95% CI (1.151,1.336), HR = 1.000, 95% CI (1.000, 1.000); respectively).

Conclusions

The incidence of EAC in the United States increased over time. Survival advantage was observed in white patients and patients in the low-poverty group. Sex was an independent prognostic factor for EAC, but this finding has to be confirmed by further research.

Systematic Review with Meta-analysis: Association of Helicobacter pylori Infection with Esophageal Cancer

Background

Helicobacter pylori is an important carcinogenic factor in gastric cancer. Studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori infection is inversely associated with certain diseases such as esophageal cancer and whose infection appears to have a “protective effect.” At present, the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and esophageal cancer remains controversial. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of esophageal cancer in different regions and ethnicities.

Methods

Systematic search of the articles on the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and esophageal cancer from the database with the duration time up to December 2018. This systematic review was performed under the MOOSE guidelines.

Results

This meta-analysis included 35 studies with 345,886 patients enrolled. There was no significant correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the general population (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.64-1.09/OR: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.54-0.97). However, a significant correlation was found in the Middle East (OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.22-0.52/95% CI: 0.26-0.44). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori between the case group and the control group in esophageal adenocarcinoma (8.87% vs. 9.67%). The pooled OR was 0.55 (95% CI: 0.43-0.70) or 0.23 (95% CI: 0.15-0.36). When grouped by match or not, the pooled OR of the nonmatching group and the matching group was 0.48/0.21 (95% CI: 0.36-0.65/95% CI: 0.13-0.36) and 0.73/0.71 (95% CI: 0.57-0.92/95% CI: 0.60-0.84), respectively.

Conclusion

In the general populations, no significant association was found between Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. However, lower risk was found in the Middle East. Helicobacter pylori infection may reduce the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but such “protection effect” may be overestimated.

Impact of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome in Health and Disease: Co-evolution with the Host Immune System

Microbes within the gastrointestinal tract communicate with each other and with the host, which has profound effects on health and disease development. Only now, it is becoming apparent that how and when we acquire our own unique collection of "gut microbes" and also how we choose to maintain them is fundamental to our health. Helicobacter pylori is the most common bacterial infection worldwide, colonizing around half of the world's population, and is the major risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma. More recently, it has also been shown to have some beneficial effects in terms of protecting against the development of other diseases. Here, we review the current knowledge on how H. pylori has shaped gastrointestinal microbiota colonization and the host immune system with specific focus on the impact of H. pylori on the various microbiome niches of the gastrointestinal tract. We discuss how the presence of H. pylori influences the physiology of three major regions within the gastrointestinal tract-specifically the oesophagus, stomach and colon. We pay particular attention to the role of H. pylori under chronic inflammatory conditions including the development of cancer. With increased incidence of diseases such as eosinophilic oesophagitis, oesophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma being attributed to the decline in H. pylori, their disease pathogenesis in light of changing H. pylori colonization is also discussed.

Helicobacter pylori infection reduces the risk of Barrett's esophagus: A meta-analysis and systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection (HPI) has been decreasing in developed countries, with an increasing prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) at the same time. The aim of our meta-analysis was to quantify the risk of BE in the context of HPI.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in 3 databases for studies on BE with data on prevalence of HPI from inception until December 2016. Odds ratios for BE in HPI were calculated by the random effects model with subgroup analyses for geographical location, presence of dysplasia in BE, and length of the BE segment.

RESULTS

Seventy-two studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 84 717 BE cases and 390 749 controls. The overall analysis showed that HPI reduces the risk of BE; OR = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.58-0.79, P < .001). Subgroup analyses revealed risk reduction in Asia OR = 0.53 (95% CI: 0.33-0.84, P = .007), Australia OR = 0.56 (95% CI: 0.39-0.80, P = .002), Europe OR = 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60-0.98, P = .035), and North-America OR = 0.59 (95% CI: 0.47-0.74, P < .001). The risk was significantly reduced for dysplastic BE, OR = 0.37 (95% CI: 0.26-0.51, P < .001) for non-dysplastic BE, OR = 0.51 (95% CI: 0.35-0.75, P = .001), and for long segment BE, OR = 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11-0.59, P = .001) in case of HPI.

CONCLUSIONS

This extensive meta-analysis provides additional evidence that HPI is associated with reduced risk of BE. Subgroup analyses confirmed that this risk reduction is independent of geographical location. HPI is associated with significantly lower risk of dysplastic, non-dysplastic, and long segment BE.

Incidence of gastric cancer in the USA during 1999 to 2013: a 50-state analysis

BACKGROUND

The incidence of gastric cancer, while declining in many places worldwide, is characterized by considerable geographical variability. The USA has large racial, ethnic and regional variation; we collected data from all 50 states to better characterize recent changes in gastric cancer incidence nationwide.

METHODS

Annual gastric cancer incidence rates from 1999 to 2013 were extracted from the United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) registry. Secular trends of gastric cancer incidence were examined overall and by sociodemographic factors and states. We used Joinpoint regression to compute annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). SEER 13 registries data were extracted to examine the secular trends by cardia and non-cardia gastric cancers.

RESULTS

Overall gastric cancer incidence decreased until 2007 (APC = -1.55, 95% CI: -1.88, -1.21), and remained stable thereafter (APC = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.84, 0.20). However, rates increased among persons <50 years of age (AAPC = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.61, 1.16), especially among non-Hispanic white females and Hispanic females. Incidence of non-cardia gastric cancer increased among persons <50 years of age (AAPC = 0.69, 95% CI: -0.06, 1.44), whereas rates of gastric cardia cancer remained unchanged. States with rapid increases in high-risk population groups (e.g. Hispanic females aged <50), including California and Texas, had highest annual increases in gastric cancer incidence.

CONCLUSIONS

Divergent trends for gastric cancer incidence were observed in the USA. Incidence rates, particularly for non-cardia gastric cancer, were stable or increasing among persons aged  <50 years.

Fecal microbiota transplantation against irritable bowel syndrome? Rigorous randomized clinical trials are required

Halkjær et al searched systematically nine articles including 48 patients, and concluded that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be an ideal treatment option for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) subjects. Regardless of the few successes in current traditional therapies (change in diet, herbal medicine and antibiotics) in IBS, a sharp increase in interests in the FMT option has been reported in the current century. However, there is a long list of unclear issues concerning the application of FMT for the treatment of IBS. Route of delivery and optimum dosage are the major concerns to consider before using in clinical practice.

Helicobacter pylori infection and nonmalignant diseases

A substantial decrease in Helicobacter pylori-associated peptic ulcer disease has been observed during the last decades. Drug-related ulcers as well as idiopathic ulcers are becoming predominant and are more refractory to treatment; however, H. pylori infection still plays an important role in ulcer bleeding and recurrence after therapy. The effect of H. pylori eradication upon functional dyspepsia symptoms has been reviewed in this article and generally confirms the results of previous meta-analyses. Additional evidence suggests a lack of impact upon the quality of life, in spite of improvement in symptoms. The association of H. pylori with gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus remains controversial with a majority of published studies showing a negative association. Furthermore, a strong inverse relationship between the presence of H. pylori and the esophageal eosinophilia was also reported. Several studies and a review addressed the role of H. pylori in autoimmune gastritis and pernicious anemia. The association of the above still remains controversial. Finally, the necessity of routine endoscopy and H. pylori eradication before bariatric surgery is discussed. Several studies suggest the rationale of preoperative upper endoscopy and H. pylori eradication prior to surgery. However, the prevalence of H. pylori infection prior to surgery in these studies generally reflects the overall prevalence of the infection in the particular geographic area. In addition, results on the role of H. pylori in developing postoperative complications remain controversial.