Helicobacter pylori seropositivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in south-east of Iran.

It has been also reported that that H. pylori infection may be responsible for some endocrine disorders, such as autoimmune thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus and primary hyperparathyroidism. H. pylori which express cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) may be more virulent than those that do not. The aim was to evaluate the seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori IgG and anti-CagA  antibodies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) and healthy individuals from Rafsanjan city (Iran). A total of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes and 100 age-matched healthy individuals were enrolled to study. A blood sample was collected from each participant. The type 2 DM established according to the fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl. The sera were tested for the presence of anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies and antibody to CagA by use of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The seroprevalence of anti-H. pylori antibodies in diabetic  patients (76%) was similar to that observed in healthy subjects (75%). The mean titer of anti-H. pylori IgG in healthy control group (131.63±11.68 U/ml) was significantly higher than diabetic group (54.43±4.50 U/ml; P<0.0001). The prevalence of serum anti-CagA IgG antibodies was 78.9% in infected diabetic patients and 77.3% in healthy control group with mean titer of 75.02±4.54 U/ml and 84.34±5.85 U/ml, respectively. No significant differences were observed between diabetic and healthy control groups regarding the prevalence and the mean titer of anti-CagA IgG antibodies. In the diabetic group, the seropositive rate of anti-H. pylori IgG was higher in women as compared to men, but the difference was not statistically significant. These results show that H. pylori seropositivity rate was similar in type 2 DM patients and non-diabetics control group. No association was also found between CagA-positive strains of H. pylori and type 2 DM.