Helicobacter pylori infection and skin diseases

There is increasing evidence for systemic effects of gastric H. pylori infection which may result in extragastrointestinal disorders. This review summarizes the available medical literature up to September 1999, identified through a MEDLINE research including own studies, regarding H. pylori and skin diseases. Due to current knowledge best evidence for a potential link of H. pylori infection exists for chronic urticaria although the data are still conflicting. Thus, the search for H. pylori should be included in the diagnostic management of chronic urticaria. With regard to other skin diseases such as rosacea, hereditary or acquired angioedema due to C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency, systemic sclerosis, Schönlein-Henoch purpura, Sjögren's syndrome, sweet's syndrome, and atopic dermatitis only single of few cases have been reported so far. Thus, we clearly need further randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled studies including adequate diagnostic schedules, sufficient eradication treatment protocols, confirmation of eradication, and adequate control groups to establish a role of H. pylori in skin diseases. Caution must be taken not to accuse H. pylori as the infectious agent responsible for every disease, particularly since H. pylori infection is very common. Although from an epidemiological and morphological view the skin diseases to which H. pylori has been linked seem to be completely different it is striking that in most of them an autoimmune pathogenesis is suspected or considerable vascular impairment can be found.