The presence of Helicobacter Pylori in postmenopausal women is not a factor to the decrease of bone mineral density

Abstract

-Background -Osteoporosis affects approximately 30% of postmenopausal women. Gastrectomy, pernicious anemia, and more recently Helicobacter pylori infection, have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. A reduced parietal cell mass is a common feature in these conditions. Aim -To study a possible relationship between chronic gastritis, parietal cell density of the oxyntic mucosa and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, as chronic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection and osteoporosis are frequently observed in the elderly. Methods -Fifty postmenopausal women (61.7 ± 7 years) were submitted to gastroduodenal endoscopy and bone densitometry by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Glandular atrophy was evaluated objectively by the determination of parietal cell density. Helicobacter pylori infection was evaluated by histology, urease test and breath test with 13 C. Results -Thirty-two patients (64%) presented chronic multifocal gastritis, and 20 of them (40%) showed signs of gastric mucosa atrophy. Lumbar spine osteoporosis was found in 18 patients (36%). The parietal cell density in patients with and without osteoporosis was 948 ± 188 and 804 ± 203 cells/mm 2 , respectively. Ten osteoporotic patients (55%) and 24 non-osteoporotic patients (75%) were infected by Helicobacter pylori. Conclusion -Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis presented a well-preserved parietal cell density in comparison with their counterparts without osteoporosis. Helicobacter pylori infection was not different between the two groups. We concluded that neither atrophic chronic gastritis nor Helicobacter pylori seem to be a reliable risk factor to osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. HEADINGS -Postmenopause. Osteoporosis, postmenopausal. Gastritis. Helicobacter infections.

Helicobacter Pylori Seropositivity in Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

“…Adriana et al 3) evaluated 50 postmenopausal females with endoscopy and DEXA. They divided patients into two groups, those with and without osteoporosis.…”

“…TNF-alpha is a triggering factor for bone resorption and IL-6 increases the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts and decreases the maturation and function of osteoblasts 2) . Other risk factors for osteoporosis are age, genetic and environmental factors, chronic diseases, and physical features of the bone 3) .…”

“…TNF-alpha and IL-6 were previously proposed as being part of the etiology of osteoporosis and the prevalence of HP infection increases with age 2,16) . In this context, some studies exploring the role of HP in osteoporosis have been conducted 3,17,18) . Since the results of these studies about the r o l e o f H P i n p o s t m e n o p a u s a l o s t e o p o r o s i s a r e contradictory 3,17) , we examined HP seropositivity in postmenopausal osteoporotic and nonosteoporotic patients.…”

Decrease of Estradiol and Several Lifestyle Factors, but Not <b><i>Helicobacter pylori</i></b> Infection, Are Significant Risks for Osteopenia in Japanese Females

“…Recently, a meta-analysis using 5 studies [15,18,20,21,44] from Asian countries demonstrated that H. pylori infection does not seem to be an important factor related to osteopenia [45]. However, some previous studies showed a relationship between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis [16,17,18,19,20,21].…”

“…It might be also an extraintestinal disease related to various lifestyle diseases [10,11,12,13]. Previous studies from Western countries have reported a null relationship between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis [14,15]. On the other hand, since Figura et al [16] reported the relationship between osteoporosis and men infected with CagA-positive H. pylori , several studies from East Asia and Japan have demonstrated a relationship between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis [17,18,19,20,21].…”