Effect of Helicobacter pylori Infection on Selected Biochemical Parameters of Hypertensive Patients at Dschang District Hospital in Cameroon

Aims: Helicobacter pylori infection is an important cause of peptic ulcer disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. The gastritis caused by H. pylori leads to lipid metabolism disorders that may act as risk factors for hypertensive patients. The aim of the study was to seek for possible correlation between H. pylori IgG seropositivity and the variations of some biochemical parameters amongst hypertensive patients in the District Hospital of Dschang.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry and District Hospital of Dschang, between November 2015 to March 2016.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from November 2015 to March 2016 consecutively enrolling 125 consenting patients of average age 54.36 ± 8 years attending the hospital for medical check-up. Two blood pressure measurements and the determination of IgG anti H. pylori by the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, enabled us to distinguish four groups of patients: hypertensive (HT+), H. pylori IgG seropositive (HP+), H. pylori IgG seropositive and hypertensive (HT+HP+), and a group of patients free from the two pathologies (HT-HP -). Measurements of biochemical parameters such as total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, CRP, glucose and albumin were done in serum/plasma by methods resulting from commercial kits.

Results: Analysis of biochemical data showed significant elevated levels (p < 0.05) of total cholesterol, creatinine, albumin and LDL cholesterol levels in the groups HT+ and HT+HP+ compared to the group of HT-HP -. Moreover, average rate of HDL cholesterol was significantly lower in the groups HT+, HT+HP+ and HP+ compared to the control group (HT-HP-). Abnormal high elevated levels of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, trigylcerides, CRP and creatinine were observed in the groups HT+HP+, HP+ and HT+ as compared to the group HT-HP-.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest a significant association between H. pylori IgG seropositivity and hypertension and the joint effects of these two diseases on certain biochemical parameters studied. These results constitute an original contribution in the monitoring and handling the studied pathologies.