Association of Helicobacter pylori Infection with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Objective: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. However, a complex combination of host and environmental factors are believed to play a pivotal role. In the pathogenesis of SLE, several infectious agents have been held responsible such as Cytomegalovirus, Parvovirus B19, Epstein Barr virus and Retrovirus. There is a variable relationship between SLE and Helicobacter, which is different from that of lupus and other infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection and SLE development. Method:In this study, 82 serum samples and 65 stool samples were collected from the SLE patients as well as the control group, respectively. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the presence of specific IgG/IgM antibodies against H.pylori in all serum samples. The presence of H.pylori antigen was examined in all stool samples by using stool antigen test. Suitable statistical analysis was applied.Results: Thirteen (15.9%) out of 82 SLE patients and 30 (36.6%) out of 82 control group were anti-H.pylori IgM seropositive. There was a significant difference between the level of IgM in SLE patients and control group (p<0.05). Anti-H.pylori IgG antibodies were present in 37 (45.1%) of SLE patients and in 41 (50%) of the control group without any significant difference. Regarding stool antigen examination, there were 24 (36.9%) and 26 (42/6%) positive samples among the SLE patients and control group, respectively. There was no significant difference between the patients and controls samples in the number of stool antigen test positive samples (p>0.05). Conclusions:Based on data obtained in this study, it is concluded that there was a significant difference between the number of IgM seropositive in SLE patients and control group, which shows that SLE disease may have an inhibitory role in H.pylori infection occurance.