[Helicobacter pylori infection as a cause of extra-digestive diseases: myth or reality?]

The persistent inflammation of the stomach induced by Helicobacter pylori infection can have consequences on the rest of the body. In the last few years, many studies have been performed on the implication of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of extra-gastric diseases attempting to establish if this association is real. Many diseases may be associated with H. pylori, e.g. vascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, skin diseases, sideropenic anemia, diabetes, Parkinson disease, and bronchiectasis. The number of important studies revealing such associations suggests that pathogenic mechanisms may link this infection with many diseases of unknown etiology. Unfortunately, the quality of the studies performed is not homogeneous, and more rigorous investigations are required to show whether a causal link exists between H. pylori infection and the pathogenic processes of these extra-digestive diseases.