Helicobacter pylori infection and fatty liver disease (results of a pilot study)
Authors: Belkovets A.V. ,   Research Institute of Therapy and Preventive Medicine — Branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation, Kruchinina M.V. , Galanova A.V. , Shcherbakova L.V. ,   Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,   Research Institute of Therapy and Preventive Medicine — Branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,   Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,   Research Institute of Therapy and Preventive Medicine — Branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation,   Research Institute of Therapy and Preventive Medicine — Branch of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the RAS, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
Published: July 2024

Aim: to examine the characteristics of mixed (metabolic + alcoholic) fatty liver disease (FLD) in relation to Helicobacter pylori infection Patients and Methods: the study included 30 men with signs of hepatic steatosis detected by ultrasound. The patients underwent a com- prehensive clinical and laboratory examination, which included a detailed history of their drug use, an interview about their gastrointestinal symptoms, their alcohol consumption and smoking habits, a complete blood count, and blood biochemistry. H. pylori infection was diagnosed by one-step immunochromatography to detect specific H. pylori antigens in feces. The criteria of the All-Russian Scientific Society of Cardi- ologists were applied to diagnose metabolic syndrome (MS). Indirect liver elastometry was performed using the FibroScan® 502 (Echosens, France) to assess the severity of liver fibrosis (in kPa) with rating of fibrosis stage according to the METAVIR score (F0–F4). Results: MS was identified in 96.7% of patients. Systematic alcohol consumption, defined as consumption of alcohol at least once a week, was common (87%) in these patients. The mean single dose was 103.1±62.86 g, and the mean weekly dose was 211.0±133.8 g (pure ethanol). H. pylori infection was detected in 56.7%. In 18 (60%) patients, liver elastography showed no fibrosis (F0). Stages F1-3 were revealed in 40% of patients, with F1 observed in 26.7%, F2 in 6.7%, and F3 in 6.6%. No significant differences in the parameters were identified based on H. pylori infection status Conclusion: all patients exhibited signs of FLD of mixed origin, associated with both metabolic disorders and systematic alcohol consumption. A greater proportion of patients (56.7%) were found to be infected with H. pylori. The analysis of MS manifestations, alcohol consumption style, smoking, liver tests, liver elasticity, and fibrosis stage revealed no significant differences depending on H. pylori infection. This may be due to the relatively small sample size in this pilot study. KEYWORDS: fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, Helicobacter pylori, fibrosis, insulin resistance. FOR CITATION: Belkovets A.V., Kruchinina M.V., Galanova A.V., Shcherbakova L.V. Helicobacter pylori infection and fatty liver disease (results of a pilot study). Russian Medical Inquiry. 2024;8(5):253–259 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2024-8-5-2.