Helicobacter pylori infection and endocrine disorders:Is there a link?

Helicobacter pylori(H pylori) infection is a leading world-wide infectious disease as it affects more than half of the world population and causes chronic gastritis,peptic ulcer disease and gastric malignancies.The infection elicits a chronic cellular inflammatory response in the gastric mucosa.However,the effects of this local inflammation may not be confi ned solely to the digestive tract but may spread to involve extraintestinal tissues and/or organs.Indeed,H pylori infection has been epidemiologically linked to extra-digestive conditions and diseases.In this context,it has been speculated that H pylori infection may be responsible for various endocrine disorders,such as autoimmune thyroid diseases,diabetes mellitus,dyslipidemia,obesity,osteoporosis and primary hyperparathyroidism.This is a review of the relationship between H pylori infection and these endocrine disorders.