Helicobacter pylori and corpus gastric pathology are associated with lower serum ghrelin

AIM: To evaluate the association of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), cagA genotype, and type of gastric pathology with ghrelin, leptin and nutritional status. METHODS: Fasted dyspeptic adults (18-70 years) referred for an upper digestive endoscopy were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Height and weight were assessed for body mass index (BMI) calculation. A sociodemographic survey was administered and nutrient intake was evaluated with 24 h dietary recalls. Serum total ghrelin and leptin levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. (13)C-Urea Breath Test was performed and four gastric biopsies were obtained during endoscopy for histopathology and H. pylori DNA amplification and genotyping. Data analysis was performed using χ(2), Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Spearman’s correlation and linear regression. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-three patients (40.8 ± 14.0 years), 98/65 females/males, were included. Overall, persistent H. pylori prevalence was 53.4% (95%CI: 45.7%-65.8%). Neither nutrient intake nor BMI differed significantly between H. pylori positive and negative groups. Serum ghrelin was significantly lower in infected patients [median 311.0 pg/mL (IQR 230.0-385.5)] than in uninfected ones [median 355.0 pg/mL (IQR 253.8-547.8)] (P = 0.025), even after adjusting for BMI and gender (P = 0.03). Ghrelin levels tended to be lower in patients carrying cagA positive strains both in the antrum and the corpus; however, differences with those carrying cagA negative strains did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.50 and P = 0.49, respectively). In addition, the type and severity of gastric pathology in the corpus was associated with lower serum ghrelin (P = 0.04), independently of H. pylori status. Conversely, leptin levels did not differ significantly between infected and uninfected patients [median 1.84 ng/mL (0.80-4.85) vs 1.84 ng/mL (0.50-5.09), (P = 0.51)]. CONCLUSION: H. pylori infection and severity of gastric corpus pathology are associated with lower serum ghrelin. Further studies could confirm a lower ghrelin prevalence in cagA-positive patients.