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Helicobacter pylori active infection in patients with acute coronary heart disease

Antonio Aceti1, Riccardo Are, Giuseppe Sabino

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, II Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy. professoraceti@tiscali.it

The Journal of Infection
|June 15, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Active Helicobacter pylori infection, identified by H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA), is linked to acute coronary heart disease (CHD). This suggests H. pylori may trigger cardiovascular events.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a common cause of gastritis and peptic ulcers.
  • The potential link between H. pylori infection and cardiovascular diseases is an area of ongoing research.
  • Acute coronary heart disease (CHD) represents a significant global health burden.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between active H. pylori infection and the occurrence of acute coronary heart disease (CHD).
  • To determine if H. pylori infection acts as a trigger factor for acute cardiovascular events.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 40 patients with acute coronary syndromes and two control groups (40 patients with non-H. pylori infections and 40 healthy subjects).
  • Participants were pair-matched for age, sex, and CHD risk factors.
  • H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) and serum anti-CagA were tested in all participants.

Main Results:

  • A significantly higher prevalence of HpSA positivity was observed in patients with acute CHD (28/40) compared to control group A (14/40) and control group B (16/40) (p=0.00095).
  • No significant difference in anti-CagA positivity was found between the CHD group and control groups.
  • Concomitant positivity for HpSA and anti-CagA was significantly higher in patients with acute CHD (13/40) compared to controls (p=0.017).

Conclusions:

  • The findings indicate a higher rate of active H. pylori infection in patients experiencing acute CHD.
  • A significant association between HpSA and anti-CagA positivity in acute CHD patients suggests a potential role for H. pylori.
  • Active H. pylori infection may serve as a trigger factor for acute cardiovascular events.
Abstract

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