Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus based on a middle-aged and elderly Chinese population

Effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on body fat percentage in middle-aged and elderly populations

Obesity, which is associated with excessive accumulation of body fat, is emerging as a new public health problem. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a non-invasive and straightforward method to analyze body composition, providing a more accurate estimate of obesity than the commonly used body mass index. The primary objective of this study was to examine the potential impact of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on body fat percentage in a population using cross-sectional and cohort studies.

METHODS

A population of people who underwent physical examinations at Taizhou Hospital between 2017 and 2022 was included. The participants underwent various tests, including urea breath test, hematological examination, and anthropometric measurement, in addition, their body fat percentage was determined through the use of BIA. Univariate and multifactorial regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with excess body fat.

RESULTS

There was a difference in body fat percentage between H. pylori positive and negative populations. The population was divided into young and middle-aged and elderly according to age, and H. pylori infection was found to differ only in the middle-aged and elderly population. Multifactorial logistic regression showed that H. pylori infection remained associated with excess body fat in the middle-aged and elderly population. A subsequent cohort study confirmed the association of persistent H. pylori infection with excess body fat in the population.

CONCLUSION

H. pylori was negatively associated with excess body fat in middle-aged and elderly populations, and long-term H. pylori infection has a negative effect on body fat in people.

Communal interaction of glycation and gut microbes in diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease pathogenesis

Diabetes and its complications, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease (PD) are increasing gradually, reflecting a global threat vis-à-vis expressing the essentiality of a substantial paradigm shift in research and remedial actions. Protein glycation is influenced by several factors, like time, temperature, pH, metal ions, and the half-life of the protein. Surprisingly, most proteins associated with metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders are generally long-lived and hence susceptible to glycation. Remarkably, proteins linked with diabetes, AD, and PD share this characteristic. This modulates protein's structure, aggregation tendency, and toxicity, highlighting renovated attention. Gut microbes and microbial metabolites marked their importance in human health and diseases. Though many scientific shreds of evidence are proposed for possible change and dysbiosis in gut flora in these diseases, very little is known about the mechanisms. Screening and unfolding their functionality in metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders is essential in hunting the gut treasure. Therefore, it is imperative to evaluate the role of glycation as a common link in diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, which helps to clarify if modulation of nonenzymatic glycation may act as a beneficial therapeutic strategy and gut microbes/metabolites may answer some of the crucial questions. This review briefly emphasizes the common functional attributes of glycation and gut microbes, the possible linkages, and discusses current treatment options and therapeutic challenges.

Targeting metabolic pathways: a novel therapeutic direction for type 2 diabetes

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent metabolic disease that causes multi-organ complications, seriously affecting patients' quality of life and survival. Understanding its pathogenesis remains challenging, with current clinical treatment regimens often proving ineffective.

Methods

In this study, we established a mouse model of T2DM and employed 16s rDNA sequencing to detect changes in the species and structure of gut flora. Additionally, we used UPLC-Q-TOF-MS to identify changes in urinary metabolites of T2DM mice, analyzed differential metabolites and constructed differential metabolic pathways. Finally, we used Pearman correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between intestinal flora and differential metabolites in T2DM mice, aiming to elucidate the pathogenesis of T2DM and provide an experimental basis for its clinical treatment.

Results

Our findings revealed a reduction in both the species diversity and abundance of intestinal flora in T2DM mice, with significantly decreased levels of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and significantly increased levels of harmful bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori. Urinary metabolomics results identified 31 differential metabolites between T2DM and control mice, including Phosphatidylcholine, CDP-ethanolamine and Leukotriene A4, which may be closely associated with the glycerophospholipid and arachidonic acid pathways. Pearman correlation analysis showed a strong correlation between dopamine and gonadal, estradiol and gut microbiota, may be a novel direction underlying T2DM.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study suggests that alterations in gut microbiota and urinary metabolites are characteristic features of T2DM in mice. Furthermore, a strong correlation between dopamine, estradiol and gut microbiota, may be a novel direction underlying T2DM, the aim is to provide new ideas for clinical treatment and basic research.

Low Prevalence of HSV-1 and Helicobacter pylori in HNSCC and Chronic Tonsillitis Patients Compared to Healthy Individuals

Recent studies identified viral and bacterial factors, including HSV-1 and H. pylori, as possible factors associated with diseases such as chronic tonsillitis and cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We assessed the prevalence of HSV-1/2 and H. pylori in patients with HNSCC, chronic tonsillitis, and healthy individuals using PCR after DNA isolation. Associations were sought between the presence of HSV-1, H. pylori, and clinicopathological and demographic characteristics and stimulant use. HSV-1 and H. pylori were most frequently identified in controls (HSV-1: 12.5% and H. pylori: 6.3%). There were 7 (7.8%) and 8 (8.6%) patients with positive HSV-1 in HNSCC and chronic tonsillitis patients, respectively, while the prevalence of H. pylori was 0/90 (0%) and 3/93 (3.2%), respectively. More cases of HSV-1 were observed in older individuals in the control group. All positive HSV-1 cases in the HNSCC group were associated with advanced tumor stage (T3/T4). The prevalence of HSV-1 and H. pylori was highest in the controls compared to HNSCC and chronic tonsillitis patients, which indicates that the pathogens were not risk factors. However, since all positive HSV-1 cases in the HNSCC group were observed only in patients with advanced tumor stage, we suggested a possible link between HSV-1 and tumor progression. Further follow-up of the study groups is planned.

A ketogenic diet improves vascular hyperpermeability in type 2 diabetic mice by downregulating vascular pescadillo1 expression

The role of pescadillo1 (PES1) in regulating vascular permeability has been unknown. This study probes the role of PES1 and its mediated molecular mechanism in modulating vascular hyperpermeability in diabetic mice. Male C57BL/6J and db/db mice were fed a standard diet and a ketogenic diet (KD). Meanwhile, mouse vascular endothelial cells (MVECs) were treated with β-hydroxybutyric acid (β-HB), Pes1 siRNA or a Pes1 overexpression plasmid. Additionally, knockout (KO) of Pes1 in mice was applied. After 12 weeks of feedings, enhanced vascular PES1 expression in diabetic mice was inhibited by the KD. The suppression of PES1 was also observed in β-HB-treated MVECs. In mice with Pes1 KO, the levels of vascular VEGF and PES1 were attenuated, while the levels of vascular VE-cadherin, Ang-1 and Occludin were upregulated. Similar outcomes also occurred after the knockdown of Pes1 in cultured MVECs, which were opposite to the effects induced by PES1 overexpression in MVECs. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that high glucose concentration-induced increases in vascular paracellular permeability declined after MVECs were treated by β-HB or by knockdown of Pes1. In contrast, increases in vascular permeability were induced by overexpression of Pes1, which were suppressed by coadministration of β-HB in cultured endothelial cells. Similarly declines in vascular permeability were found by Pes1 knockdown in diabetic mice. Mechanistically, β-HB decreased PES1-facilitated ubiquitination of VE-cadherin. The KD suppressed the diabetes-induced increase in PES1, which may result in vascular hyperpermeability through ubiquitination of VE-cadherin in type 2 diabetic mice.

DO HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND ERADICATION THERAPY STATUS INFLUENCE WEIGHT LOSS OUTCOMES AND ENDOSCOPIC FINDINGS AFTER ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASS?A HISTORICAL COHORT STUDY

BACKGROUND

Currently, there is conflicting evidence linking Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection with weight loss and endoscopic findings after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

OBJECTIVE

To identify correlations between HP infection and its eradication with weight loss and endoscopic findings after RYGB.

METHODS

This is an observational retrospective cohort study based on a prospectively collected database of individuals who underwent RYGB from 2018-2019 at a tertiary university hospital. HP infection and the HP eradication therapy outcomes were correlated with post-operative weight loss and endoscopic findings. Individuals were classified according to the status of HP infection into four groups: no infection; successful eradication; refractory infection; and new-onset infection.

RESULTS

Of 65 individuals, 87% were female and the mean age was 39±11.2 years. Body mass index significantly decreased from 36.2±3.6 to 26.7±3.3 kg/m2 one year after RYGB (P<0.0001). The percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) was 25.9±7.2% and the percentage of excess weight loss was 89.4±31.7%. HP infection prevalence decreased from 55.4% to 27.7% (p=0.001); 33.8% never had HP infection, 38.5% were successfully treated, 16.9% had refractory infection and 10.8 % had new-onset HP infection. %TWL was 27.3±7.5% in individuals who never had HP, 25.4±8.1% in the successfully treated, 25.7±5.2% in those with refractory infection, and 23.4±6.4% in the new-onset HP infection group; there were no significant differences among the four groups (P=0.6). Pre-operative HP infection significantly associated with gastritis (P=0.048). New-onset HP infections significantly associated with a lower frequency of jejunal erosions after surgery (P=0.048).

CONCLUSION

No effects of the HP infection on weight loss were identified in individuals undergoing RYGB. A higher prevalence of gastritis was observed in individuals with HP infection before RYGB. New-onset HP infection after RYGB was a protective factor for jejunal erosions.