Meta-analysis of the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and autoimmune thyroid diseases.

OBJECTIVE

This study presents a systematic meta-analysis of the correlation between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Fifteen articles including 3,046 cases were selected (1,716 observational and 1,330 control cases). These data were analyzed using Stata12.0 meta-analysis software.

RESULTS

H. pylori infection was positively correlated with the occurrence of AITD (OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.72-2.93). Infection with H. pylori strains positive for the cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) were positively correlated with AITD (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.07-3.70). There was no significant difference between infections detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and other methods (χ2 = 2.151, p = 0.143). Patients with Grave's disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) were more susceptible to H. pylori infection (GD: OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.68-4.61; HT: OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.44-3.23), while the rate of H. pylori infection did not differ between GD and HT (χ2 = 3.113, p = 0.078).

CONCLUSIONS

H. pylori infection correlated with GD and HT, and the eradication of H. pylori infection could reduce thyroid autoantibodies.