Abstract

There are some conflicting data on the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and cardiovascular disease. In this study we investigated a possible correlation between H. pylori infection and extracardiac atherosclerotic artery disease. For this aim the presence of anti-H. pylori IgG antibody was investigated by in-house ELISA in serum samples from 54 patients with extracardiac atherosclerosis. Thirty eight healthy people were recruited as control subjects. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed 28 atherosclerotic artery specimens, which were obtained at surgery to investigated H. pylori DNA. Thirty eight of the 54 (%70.34) patients, 26 of the 38 (%68.42) control subjects had a positive IgG response (odds ratio = 1.10 (0.41-2.96), %95 CI, p=0.9760). In 28 atherosclerotic artery specimens plagues PCR showed no evidence of H. pylori presence in plaque specimens. These data do not support the hypothesis that infection with H. pylori might be a major risk factor for atherosclerosis at extracardiac arteries. Our results also tend to rule not the possibility of a direct involvement of H. pylori in atherosclerosis.