Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Infectious Diseases
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
• Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common bacterial pathogen implicated in various gastrointestinal disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients diagnosed with chronic open-angle glaucoma (COAG) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEG).
• To compare H. pylori infection rates between glaucoma patients and age-matched anemic control participants.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, nonrandomized comparative study involving 32 COAG patients, 9 PEG patients, and 30 anemic controls.
• H. pylori detection utilized upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy (rapid urease test, histology), saliva testing, and serum IgG antibody analysis (ELISA).
• Gastritis and intestinal metaplasia were evaluated using specific staining techniques.

Main Results:

• Histologically confirmed H. pylori infection was significantly higher in glaucoma patients (87.5% COAG, 88.9% PEG) compared to anemic controls (46.7%).
• Seropositivity for H. pylori antibodies was also greater in glaucoma patients (68%) versus controls (30%).
• Glaucoma patients showed a higher incidence of endoscopic normal gastric mucosa, antral gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and severe gastritis.

Conclusions:

• H. pylori infection appears to be more prevalent in individuals with glaucoma.
• The findings suggest a potential common susceptibility factor or a causal role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.