According to a recent study, patients with psoriasis are nearly twice as likely to have Helicobacter pylori infection as those without the condition, with prevalence rates of 50.3% and 36.8%, respectively.
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and psoriasis. Their findings, published in Frontiers in Medicine, examined 15 studies involving 2,427 patients to assess the prevalence of H. pylori infection among patients with psoriasis compared to control groups.
The analysis followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines, with data sourced from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases up to January 1, 2024. Statistical evaluations were performed using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 12.0. The primary outcome, expressed as an odds ratio (OR), revealed a significantly higher prevalence of H. pylori infection among patients with psoriasis (OR = 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40–2.68, p < 0.0001). The prevalence rates were 50.3% in the psoriasis group compared to 36.8% in controls.
Subgroup analyses identified several influential factors. The diagnostic method significantly affected detection rates; the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detected H. pylori at higher rates than the urea breath test (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.41–3.34, p = 0.03). Geographic differences, including comparisons between Asia and Europe, did not yield significant variations in infection prevalence. Furthermore, psoriasis severity correlated with H. pylori prevalence, with moderate-to-severe cases exhibiting higher infection rates than mild cases (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.29–2.99, p = 0.002).
The researchers emphasized the potential role of H. pylori in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. They suggested that bactericidal therapy could benefit patients, particularly those with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, as part of a combination treatment approach. Despite these insights, limitations included moderate heterogeneity among studies (I² = 62%) and the absence of randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of H. pylori eradication on psoriasis outcomes.
The authors advocated for further multicenter trials to confirm causality and explore the therapeutic implications of H. pylori eradication in psoriasis management.
Full disclosures can be found in the published study.
