Cytotoxin Associated Gene A+ Helicobacter pylori Infection is Related with Endothelial Dysfunction in Normotensive Individuals

Aydın Akyüz, Rafet Mete, Mustafa Oran, Şeref Alpsoy, Dursun Çayan Akkoyun, Pelin Osanmaz Deği̇rmenci̇, Okan Avcı

Keywords: Cytotoxine associated gene A protein, Helicobacter pylori; flow-mediated dilatation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Cytotoxin associated gene (Cag) A+ Helicobacter pylori (HP) is the most virulent HP strain, and its association with endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. Thus we investigated the effects of CagA+ HP on endothelial dependent dilatation and its relationship with C-reactive protein (CRP) in normotensive subjects. METHODS: Sixty individuals with CagA+ HP infection were compared with 40 individuals with CagA(-) HP infection and 50 individuals with no infection in terms of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), non-endothelium-dependent dilatation (NED) and CRP.RESULTS: In the CagA+ subjects the mean percentage of FMD was 6.3±2.7, which was significantly lower than that of the CagA- subjects (9.8±3.3, p