Association between gallbladder helicobacter pylori positivity and cholelithiasis: A single center experience

Abstract

Aim: To study the presence of helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the gallbladder mucosa of patients operated on for cholelithiasis.

Methods: In this study, cholecystectomy specimens obtained from patients who underwent surgery for gallstones in the Pathology and General Surgery departments of Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University Hospital were retrospectively evaluated. Patient age, gender, type of surgery, stone size, and number of stones were recorded. Additionally, cholecystectomy sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Giemsa methods, and inflammatory changes and microorganisms resembling H. pylori were investigated.

Results: The median stone size was 10(3-35) mm in the H. pylori negative group, whereas it was 5 (3-14) mm in the H. pylori positive group (p<0.001). Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between stone size and the presence of H. pylori (p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of stone size in predicting H. pylori positivity when the stone size was smaller than 5.5 mm was 89% and 66%, respectively (AUC=0.77, p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.69-0.86).

Conclusion: In conclusion, we demonstrated that gallbladder H. pylori positivity is associated with smaller and more numerous gallstones, and that stone size below 5.5 mm has reasonable predictive value for H. pylori presence.