Patients with psoriasis may be more likely to experience Helicobacter pylori infections, though the bacteria may not impact the severity of their condition, according to a recent study.
Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by erythematous, scaly plaques, has been hypothesized to have various etiological factors, including infectious agents like Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).
In the cross-sectional study, published in Skin Research and Technology, investigators evaluated the prevalence of H. pylori infections in patients with psoriasis and assessed the bacteria's potential relationship with psoriasis severity.
They enrolled 75 patients with psoriasis and 75 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. The average age of the patients with psoriasis was 37.44 years (± 15.79), whereas the control group had an average age of 37.15 years (± 15.15). The age difference between the two groups was not found to be statistically significant (P = .908). Among the patients with psoriasis, 54.67% were male and 45.33% were female. In the control group, 52% were male and 48% were female. The difference in sex distribution between the two groups was not statistically significant (P = .743).
The average body mass index (BMI) among the patients with psoriasis was 24.33 (± 6.81), whereas the control group had an average BMI of 23.79 (± 5.92). The difference in BMI between the two groups was not statistically significant (P = .605). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was 9.33% among those with psoriasis compared with 4% in the control group. Hypertension was observed in 13.33% of the patients with psoriasis and 5.33% of controls.
Lesions were present in 80% of the patients with psoriasis on the upper limbs, 85.33% on the lower limbs, 61.33% on the head, 50.67% on the trunk, and 2.67% on the back. Additionally, 34.67% had nail involvement, 61.33% had hair involvement, and 4% had joint involvement. Treatment included acitretin for 4% of the patients with psoriasis, methotrexate for 20%, and phototherapy for 36%.
The presence of a H. pylori infection was determined using the H. pylori stool antigen-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The results demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infections among the patients with psoriasis (45.33%) compared with the controls (30.66%) (P = .046). However, no significant correlation was found between H. pylori infections and psoriasis severity, as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). The study categorized 25 patients each into mild, moderate, and severe psoriasis groups based on their PASI scores.
Additionally, the study, reported no significant association between H. pylori infections and patient age or duration of psoriasis. The average duration of psoriasis in the patients studied was 4.94 ± 4.25 years. The study did not find a significant correlation between the duration of the disease and the presence of H. pylori infections (P = .787).
The findings indicated that while H. pylori infections are more prevalent in patients with psoriasis, the bacteria did not appear to influence the severity of the disease. Further studies are needed to explore the potential role of H. pylori as a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
