The Relationship Between Cholecystitis and Presence of Helicobacter pylori in the Gallbladder

Background: As there is an established relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric and duodenal ulcers, there might also be a relationship between this infection and other pathologies of gastrointestinal system. Objectives: Thus in this study we decided to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and cholecystitis. Methods: In this case-control study, patients were divided into two groups: case group with cholecystitis or cholelithiasis and controls with normal gallbladder. In both groups, after removal of the gallbladder, the samples were sent to the pathology laboratory for further evaluation. The presence of H. pylori gene in gallbladder tissue was determined by PCR (Polymerase chain reaction), and the results were compared between the groups. Results: A total of 84 studied patients with mean age of 45.19 ± 1.78, 27 were male (32.1%) and 57 were female (67.9%). Results showed that among the studied variables, only height (P value = 0.002) and BMI (P value = 0.001) were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: Although correlation between the prevalence of bacteria in gallbladder with the incidence of gallstones is a controversial issue, but studies suggested that higher prevalence of H. pylori in patients with cholecystitis caused by gallstones can be a stimulating factor for the formation of gallstones.