Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence in coronary artery disease

Background: Helicobacter (H.) pylori infection is a well-established cause of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. However, there is growing evidence that chronic inflammatory response to this pathogen may also play an important role in coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in seroprevalence of H. pylori infection in a control group compared to a group of patients with electrocardiographic evidence of CAD. Materials and Methods: The study included 98 apparently healthy control subjects as the control group and 102 heart disease patients with electrocardiographic evidence of CAD as the patient group. Quantitative measurement of IgG antibodies to H. pylori in sera from subjects of both groups was performed with an automated commercial EIA method. Results: Seroprevalence of H. pylori IgG was significantly higher in the patient group (87.3%) compared to the control group (54.1%) (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results suggest that there may be an increased seroepidemiological association of H. pylori infection with CAD.