Role of the Helicobacter pylori as a trigger factor in the development of rosacea and effect of its eradication on the course of dermatosis

The authors conducted an analysis of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a study of morphology and functional activity of the mucous coat of different stomach sections, determination of H. pylori, determination of the cytokine profile (anti-inflammatory cytokines) in 55 patients with different forms of rosacea vs. 20 healthy volunteers and 55 patients from the risk group consulted or treated by a gastroenterologist because of gastrointestinal disorders but without any manifestations of dermatosis. Moreover, the authors evaluated the effect of the eradication of H. pylori on the course of the disease and cytokine profile of the immune response in patients suffering from rosacea. It was shown that the group of patients with rosacea have much fewer cases of stomach diseases (gastritis, gastroduodenitis, ulcer) than the group of patients with an increased risk of the development of these diseases. On the contrary, patients with rosacea have more cases of H. pylori (83%) than the group of healthy volunteers (20%) and group of patients with stomach diseases (47%) though the bacterial load is lower (I—II vs. III—IV in the risk group). Indices of the cytokine profile demonstrate that patients with rosacea form an immune response based on the mixed Th1/Th2 response type. This results in the microbial persistence, chronic inflammation and possible autoimmune reactions lasting even after the eradication of H. pylori and improvement of the clinical picture of the disease, which possibly explains the chronic course of the disease and development of recurrences.

Helicobacter pylori, rosacea, Helicobacter pylori, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, role of the immune response, eradication of H. pylori