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Helicobacter pylori infection is positively associated with gallstones: a large-scale cross-sectional study in Japan

  • Original Article—Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
Journal of Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Our aim is to elucidate causative factors for gallstones, especially focusing on Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection.

Methods

We analyzed 15,551 Japanese adults who had no history of gastrectomy, cholecystectomy, HP eradication, and didn’t use proton pump inhibitors, anti-diabetic drugs, or anti-cholesterol drugs. 1,057 subjects who previously had HP eradication were analyzed separately.

Results

Gallstones were detected in 409 of 8,625 men (4.74 %) and 285 of 6,926 women (4.11 %) by ultrasonography. Among the 25 factors univariately analyzed, age, HP infection, alcohol intake, weight, body mass index (BMI), and 14 blood test values (AST, ALT, ALP, γ-GTP, T-Chol, HDL-Chol, LDL-Chol, TG, TP, Hb, HbA1c, pepsinogen I, pepsinogen II, and pepsinogen I/II ratio) displayed significant association with gallstones (p < 0.05), whereas gender, smoking, height, and three blood test values (Alb, T-Bil, MCV) did not. Multivariate analysis showed that age, gender, alcohol intake, BMI, γ-GTP, LDL-Chol, TP, and HP infection had significant association (p < 0.05). Successive multiple logistic regression analysis calculating odds ratio (OR) and standardized coefficients (β) showed that age (OR/β = 1.57/0.450), BMI (OR/β = 1.30/0.264), HP infection (OR/β = 1.51/0.206), lower alcohol intake (OR/β = 1.33/0.144), γ-GTP (OR/β = 1.15/0.139), and pepsinogen I/II ratio (OR/β = 1.08/0.038) have significant positive association with gallstones, whereas gender does not. The gallstone prevalence among HP-negative, HP-eradicated, and HP-positive subjects was 3.81, 4.73 and 6.08 %, respectively. The matched analysis controlling age, BMI, γ-GTP, alcohol intake, pepsinogen I/II ratio and gender also demonstrated that gallstone prevalence among HP-eradicated subjects was significantly lower compared with HP-positive subjects (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

HP infection is positively associated with gallstones. HP eradication may lead to prevention of gallstones.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Minoru Okada, Mr. Masanori Fujiwara, Mr. Masami Muraoka, and Mr. Koichi Yamashita (Kameda Medical Center Makuhari) for great assistance with maintaining the study database. This work was supported in part by Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), in part by Clinical Research Grant from St. Luke’s Life Science Institute, and also in part by a grant from Chiyoda Mutual Life Foundation.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Yu Takahashi, Nobutake Yamamichi, Satoshi Mochizuki, Mitsuhiro Fujishiro, Chihiro Takeuchi, Yoshiki Sakaguchi, Keiko Niimi, Satoshi Ono, Shinya Kodashima & Kazuhiko Koike

  2. Kameda Medical Center Makuhari, CD-2, 1-3, Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba, 261-8501, Japan

    Takeshi Shimamoto & Toru Mitsushima

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  1. Yu Takahashi
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Correspondence to Nobutake Yamamichi.

Additional information

Yu Takahashi and Nobutake Yamamichi contributed equally to this work.

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Takahashi, Y., Yamamichi, N., Shimamoto, T. et al. Helicobacter pylori infection is positively associated with gallstones: a large-scale cross-sectional study in Japan. J Gastroenterol 49, 882–889 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0832-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-013-0832-z

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