H. Pylori is related to osteoporosis but only in premenopausal female: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, an increasing number of studies have focused on the extra-gastrointestinal effects of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), including metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, and rheumatic and skin diseases. Osteoporosis is an asymptomatic disease that can eventually lead to fractures and has a significant impact on the quality of life of elderly individuals. Sex is an influential factor that plays a crucial role in the development of osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis and to identify potential influencing factors. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of individuals older than 50 years old, who had undergone regular physical examinations at the Beijing Shijitan Hospital Health Examination Center from July to October 2018. We evaluated the associations of osteopenia and osteoporosis with H. pylori infection and related serum markers by using multiple linear regression and logistic regression. Then, we analysed the correlation between sex and potential serum biomarkers. RESULTS: There were significant relationships between H. pylori infection status and bone density in premenopausal females but not in males (P = 0.381) according to Fisher's exact test. In females, H. pylori positivity (OR = 0.132, P = 0.023), Body Mass Index (BMI) (OR = 28.163, P = 0.021), and homocysteine (HCY) (OR = 17.218, P = 0.045) were associated with osteoporosis. Calcium had a trend but no statistically significant (OR = 0.060, P = 0.076) relationship with osteoporosis. Furthermore, the waist-to-hip ratio (OR = 5.783, P = 0.029), BMI (OR = 0.152, P = 0.014) and triglyceride levels (OR = 0.201, P = 0.036) were significantly different by sex, after adjusting for age as a confounder. CONCLUSION: H. pylori positivity, BMI and HCY are associated with osteoporosis in premenopausal females. Chronic inflammation may be involved in the relationship between H. pylori and osteoporosis.

Correlation between narrow-band imaging endoscopy results and hPTTG expression indicated by angiogenensis and its distribution in the initial phase of colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between vascular characteristics under narrow band imaging endoscopy (NBI) and the expression of angiogenic factors of colorectal carcinoma and adenoma, and to evaluate the feasibility and validity of NBI in vivo visualizing angiogenesis. Patients with colorectal polyps, which were pathologically confirmed as early carcinoma, adenoma and hyperplastic polyp, were recruited and examined by NBI. The endoscopic vascular pattern was classified by Showa classification. Immunohistochemical staining was performed by cluster of differentiation (CD34), microvessel density (MVD) and Human Pituitary Tumor-Transforming Gene (hPTTG). The histologic results were compared with the vascular pattern under NBI. Overall, 83 colorectal lesions including 9 intramucosal colorectal carcinomas, 44 adenomas (18 tubular adenomas, 26 tubulovillous adenomas) and 30 hyperplastic polyps were recruited and examined by NBI. A higher proportion (88.6%, 47/53) of intramucosal carcinomas and adenomas were more likely to have the dense pattern (DP) or network pattern (NP), while that of hyperplastic polyps was only 30.0% (9/30). There was an obvious increase in the MVD-CD34 counting from hyperplastic polyps, to adenoma to carcinoma, and a significant difference among the three groups as well. Also, a clear difference can be seen in the expression of hPTTG, which was expressed more in carcinoma than in adenoma and HP group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: NBI might be a useful tool as in vivo visualizing angiogenesis. hPTTG expression in colorectal adenoma and carcinoma is related to angiogenesis.