Relationship of Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence with the occurrence and severity of psoriasis*

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints and has a multifactorial etiology. Recently, it has been suggested that Helicobacter pylori infection may contribute as a trigger for the development of the disease. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of H. pylori seropositivity in patients with psoriasis and to evaluate the relation between disease severity and H. pylori infection. METHODS: H. pylori infection was assessed in psoriatic patients and controls by using H. pylori IgG quantitative enzyme immunoassay (ELISA test). The patients were classified according to the severity of the disease (PASI score). RESULTS: One hundred and twenty six patients with psoriasis (73 females and 53 males); mean age 50.48 years; 65 patients (51.59%) had severe psoriasis, 40 (31.75%) moderate psoriasis and 21 (16.67%) mild psoriasis. Twenty one healthy volunteers included as a control group, mean age of 41.05 years, 13 females and 8 males. One hundred and eleven patients with psoriasis tested serologically, 80 (72.07%) were seropositive compared with 7 positive volunteers (33.33%; P=0.002). Forty-nine (75.38%) patients with severe psoriasis were positive, 25 (62.50%) with moderate psoriasis were positive and 6 (28.57%) with mild psoriasis were positive (P=0.045). Study limitations: none. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection influences the development of psoriasis and severity of the disease.