Bioavailability of vitamins E and C: does Helicobacter pylori infection play a role?

While the association between bioavailability of vitamins E and C and Helicobacter pylori infection has been extensively researched in gastritis and gastric cancer patients, little is known about this relationship in asymptomatic adults.

To investigate the effect of H. pylori infection on bioavailability of vitamins E and C in asymptomatic adults.

Volunteers from the University of Toronto, aged 18-45 years, were screened, for their H. pylori infection status. H. pylori-negative (n = 32) and asymptomatic H. pylori-positive (n = 27) participants received vitamin C (500 mg) and vitamin E (400 IU) supplements daily for 28 days. Plasma vitamins C, E and thiols concentrations were assessed before (baseline) and after supplementation.

Postsupplementation plasma levels of vitamin C and E were significantly higher than presupplementation levels in both groups. Yet, changes in plasma vitamins E and C were not significantly different between the two groups [vitamin C (mumol/l): 13.97 +/- 16.86 vs. 20.87 +/- 27.66, p > 0.05; vitamin E (mumol/l): 15.52 +/- 9.4 vs. 14.47 +/- 15.77; p > 0.05 for H. pylori-negative and H. pylori-positive groups, respectively]. In addition, no significant difference was found in plasma thiols levels between groups (p > 0.05).

These findings suggest that H. pylori does not influence antioxidants bioavailability in its asymptomatic stages of infection until a factor or combination of factors triggers the inflammation cascade which may lead to increased oxidative stress and possibly reduced bioavailability of vitamins E and C.