Association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and Helicobacter pylori infection in Dali City, China

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether gastric Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with the progress of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Dali city, China. METHODS: One thousand and one hundred eighty-five adults who had visited a health examination center were enrolled. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and H. pylori infection were assessed by abdominal color ultrasound and (13)C-urea breath test, respectively. Serum lipid metabolic indices were compared between NAFLD subjects without and with H. pylori infection. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of NAFLD for the entire study population (n=1185) was 44.6% (n=529), including 167 women and 362 men. Among 529 NAFLD subjects, H. pylori was confirmed as a significant and independent risk factor for NAFLD (95% CI 1.02-1.79, p=0.036, OR =1.35). Compared with H. pylori non-infected individuals (n=721), higher contents of LDL-C (p=0.012) along with TC (p=0.014) were also observed in H. pylori-infected individuals (n=464). CONCLUSION: A positive correlation is identified between H. pylori infection and NAFLD.