Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A genotype in Egyptian patients with Parkinson ’s disease: could eradication benefit?

This study was performed on 87 idiopathic PD patients and 45 age- and sex-matched controls. HP infection was diagnosed with HP stool antigen test and HPcagA genotype was detected by PCR. PD patients were subjected to UCLA parkinsonism scale, Hoehn and Yahr staging, andl-dopa plasma level detection by high-performance liquid chromatography. HP PD patients were divided into eradicated group (received standard anti-HP therapy) and placebo group (received antioxidant therapy). Four weeks after therapy, patients were reevaluated. Among PD patients, frequency of HP infection was significantly higher than controls (55.2 vs 33.3%,P = 0.02), especially with HP cagA strain (81.2 vs 40%,P = 0.002). PD was more severe in HP infected (P <  0.001), especially in HPcagA-positive patients (P = 0.04) with significant lowerl-dopa plasma levels (P <  0.001).cagA strains were associated with higher risk of increased PD severity (OR, 2.139;P = 0.029). Opposing antioxidant therapy, HP eradication treatment improved PD severity (UCLA score decreases by 30%) and increasedl-dopa level by 40%. There is a proved link between PD and infection with virulent HPcagA strains. HP could affectl-dopa level by mechanisms other than reactive oxygen radical ’s production which need further evaluation.
Source: Comparative Clinical Pathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research