Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with vascular dementia

• Vascular dementia (VD) population was divided into two groups: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) positive and Hp negative VD group.
• Hp infection was positive associated with Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) values and serum YKL-40.
• In Hp positive VD group, serum YKL-40 was positively correlated with CIMT.
• Hp infection might partly contribute to the atherosclerosis in VD through increasing expression of serum YKL-40.
• YKL-40 may be an early predictor and independent risk factor of atherosclerosis in Hp positive VD patients.

Background and purposeAccumulating evidence indicates that various infections contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) has been implicated as a risk factor of atherosclerosis for stroke and other cardiovascular disease, but limited data exist regarding vascular dementia (VD). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Hp infection and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with VD.MethodsA total of 354 patients who were diagnosed with VD were enrolled. Patients were divided into Hp positive VD group (n = 208) and Hp negative VD group (n = 156) using the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT). Serum YKL-40, a marker for inflammation, were analyzed by ELISA. Traditional atherosclerotic risk factors including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were collected or detected. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was determined by color Doppler ultrasound.ResultsCIMT values and serum YKL-40 significantly increased in Hp positive VD group in comparison with Hp negative VD group (p < 0.05). In Hp positive VD group, serum YKL-40 was positively correlated with CIMT (r = 0.412, p < 0.05), and the association was independent of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors (β = 0.381, p < 0.001).ConclusionsCIMT and serum YKL-4 were significantly higher in Hp positive patients than Hp negative patients. Hp-induced inflammation may be a risk factor for atherosclerosis in patients with VD.