Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with advanced colorectal neoplasia

The aim of this article was to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients diagnosed with advanced colorectal neoplasia undergoing a colonoscopy compared to patients without neoplasia.

This cross-sectional study investigated the association of neoplastic lesions diagnosed on colonoscopy with H. pylori infection in a consecutive series of subjects who had undergone a pancolonoscopy in a single academic medical center. All patients were tested by ELISA and the immunoblot technique for serum anti-H. pylori and CagA protein IgG antibodies. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for potential-relevant confounders, including age, sex, smoking, childhood socioeconomic status, and family history of colorectal cancer.

Two hundred and seventy-three patients were included in the study: 75% (84/112), diagnosed with neoplastic colorectal lesions and 48% (77/161) without neoplastic lesions, were found to be seropositive for H. pylori infection (p < 0.001). H. pylori infection was found in 66/77 (86 %) patients with advanced neoplasia, 18/35 (51%) patients with nonadvanced neoplasia, and 48% (77/161) patients without neoplasia (p < 0.001). In the adjusted analysis, H. pylori infection was found to be associated with advanced colorectal neoplasia (odds ratio, OR 9.57; 95% CI 4.31-21.2; p < 0.001) and CRC (OR 7.98;95% CI 3.16-20.16; p < 0.001). There was no association in patients who were CagA positive.

H. pylori infection is associated with the development of advanced colorectal neoplasia. More studies are needed to confirm our findings.