Helicobacter pylori in metabolic related diseases

Helicobacter pylori and diabetes mellitus: a controversial relationship

Research on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a pathogenic bacterium that is widespread among humans, is investigating the medical implications of the infection in many fields beyond gastroenterology. Because of the ubiquitous presence of the infection, there is an increasing interest in finding a relationship between this bacterium and diabetes mellitus (DM). It is not clear whether a significant relation between H. pylori and DM exists, whether the infection influences diabetes or vice versa, and the mechanisms underlying such a relationship. This review provides an analysis of new insights from studies published in more recent years. New research on this topic concentrated on the common pathogenic aspects between the bacterium and insulin resistance or autoimmunity, on the role of the bacterial infection in cardiovascular risk and whether the infection worsen glycemic outcomes in patients with DM. Research in this field still has to conclusively assess and explain the existence of a possible relationship between H. pylori and DM. Some studies have reached antithetic conclusions. Unless more robust data from studies using consistent research methods become available in the near future, people with diabetes should be compared to the general population when it comes to investigating and treating the presence of H. pylori.

Helicobacter pylori and hematological disorders

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most common worldwide infections, which can affect both adults and children. The prevalence of this bacterium is variable in different countries, depending on various hygienic and socioeconomic conditions and living customs. The major damaged tissues of the infection are in the upper gastrointestinal tract, causing gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer and gastrointestinal malignancy. Nevertheless, other disorders are associated with this pathogen, including several hematological diseases, such as iron deficiency anemia, immune thrombocytopenia and vitamin B12 deficiency. A huge of data in literature support these associations, enough to recognize them in the last Maastricht V/Florence Consensus Report by European Study Group. The pathogenic mechanisms underlying the linkage between H. pylori and these hematological disorders are not clearly identified, but certainly the good hematological response reaches after eradication therapy confirm a central role of the bacterium in this scenario. Instead, the pathogenic mechanisms of H. pylori infection, which lead to the occurrence of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma are clearer and more consolidated; so much that nowadays eradication therapy alone represents the only treatment in this disorder, when localized and with a concomitant H. pylori infection. This review focuses on the hematologic diseases related to H. pylori, particularly on iron deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, immune thrombocytopenia and gastric MALT lymphoma.

Review: Helicobacter pylori and extragastric diseases

In the last year, many studies have demonstrated a potential role of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenic mechanisms of different extragastric diseases. While the role of H pylori in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, idiopathic iron deficiency anemia, and vitamin B12 deficiency has already been demonstrated, there is growing evidence of other related conditions, especially cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurologic disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. A summary of the results of the most relevant studies published over the last year on this attractive topic is presented in this review.

Helicobacter pylori and cardiovascular disease: update 2019

Many studies have been performed concerning the potential role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in different extra-gastric diseases. Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading cause of mortality in developed countries. The traditional cardiovascular risk factors could not predict all cases of IHD. Hence, the scientists explore other potential etiologic factors, especially infections. H. pylori infection has been suspected to have a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, after 25 years from the first description, the role of the bacterium in the pathogenesis of IHD remains controversial and enigmatic. Since H. pylori infection is persistent and stimulates both a local and a systemic immune response that could cause significant changes in the markers of inflammation like cytokines, C-reactive protein, heat shock protein, fibrinogen, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, it has been supposed that the outcomes of this process are atherosclerosis and a prothrombotic state which eventually leads to IHD. Alternative pathogenic mechanisms have been hypothesized, including the occurrence of molecular antigenicity. This hypothesis supposed that H. pylori could provoke autoimmunity as a result of molecular mimicry. The eradication of H. pylori infection as cardiovascular prevention strategy has been the object of some studies. However, the results are of difficult interpretation. Further studies, especially with a cohort and interventional design, have to be performed to reveal the potential relationship between H. pylori and IHD.

Effect of Celastrus orbiculatus in inhibiting Helicobacter pylori induced inflammatory response by regulating epithelial mesenchymal transition and targeting miR-21/PDCD4 signaling pathway in gastric epithelial cells

BACKGROUND

The extract of Celastrus orbiculatus (COE) have been studied for anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) activity and anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism by which COE inhibits H. pylori-induced inflammatory response has not been fully elucidated so far.

METHODS

The effects of COE on viability, morphological changes, inflammatory cytokine secretion, protein and mRNA expression were analyzed by MTT assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, western blot and real-time PCR (RT-PCR), respectively. The methylation level of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) promoter was investigated by methylation-specific PCR. (MSP) .

RESULTS

COE effectively inhibited the H.pylori-induced inflammatory response by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The methylation level of PDCD4 promoter was suppressed by COE, which increased the expression ofPDCD4. Moreover, COE could inhibit microRNA-21 (miR-21) expression, as shown by an enhancement of its target gene PDCD4. Furthermore, both miR-21 over-expression and PDCD4 silencing attenuated the anti-inflammatory effect. of COE.

CONCLUSIONS

COE inhibits H. pylori induced inflammatory response through regulating EMT, correlating with inhibition of miR-21/PDCD4 signal pathways in gastric epithelial cells.

Helicobacter pylori and nutrition: a bidirectional communication

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a gram-negative flagellated pathogen acid-resistant bacterium; it belongs to the order Campylobacterales that is wide spread all over the world, infecting more than 50% of the world population. HP infection is etiologically associated with non-atrophic and atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer and with 3 to 6-fold increased relative risk for developing gastric adenocarcinoma and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MA LT) lymphoma. For this reason HP is recognized by the World Health Organization as a Class I human carcinogen. In the last years a lot of studies clarified the role of this pathogen in nutrition and metabolism; particularly, it has been shown that it is able to induce malabsorption of several nutrients like iron, cobalamin, vitamin C and vitamin E, with strong consequences on nutritional status. Interesting, this bacterium is able to produce different biological effects on hormones like ghrelin and leptin controlling both appetite and growth, mostly depending on the time of acquisition of the infection and of its treatment. In this review, the authors focused their attention on nutritional effects of HP infection and particularly on the role that diet, food, plants and specific nutrients can play in its treatment, considering that HP eradication rates, with standard triple-therapy, have fallen to a low level in the last years.