Do H. Pylori status and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth determine the clinical course of chronic active gastritis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?

OBJECTIVE

The aim: To define clinical peculiarities of chronic active gastritis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) considering Helicobacter pylori (HP) status and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: 172 patients with chronic active gastritis were enrolled in the study, 92 out of them had concomitant T2DM. Symptoms were collected with the questionnaire, HP infection was diagnosed with stool antigen test, SIBO was assessed with glucose hydrogen breath test.

RESULTS

Results: 87.5% (n=70) patients with chronic gastritis without DM had epigastric pain, however those with T2DM reported pain only in 41.3% (n=38) cases. Other symptoms included: nausea, bloating, early satiety, postprandial fullness, heartburn, belching and vomiting. HP infection in patients with chronic gastritis and concomitant T2DM is significantly associated with symptoms of epigastric pain (OR=2.78, 95%CI 0.92-8.41), bloating (OR=3.92, 95%CI 1.40-10.99), nausea (OR=2.32, 95%CI 0.85-0.6.30), postprandial fullness (OR=1.45, 95%CI 0.54-3.87) and belching (OR=1.01, 95%CI 0.32-3.16), whereas SIBO - with bloating (OR=8.82, 95%CI 2.88-27.01), nausea (OR=5.15, 95%CI 1.88-14.10) and belching (OR=2.53, 95%CI 0.67-9.52).

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: Patients with T2DM and chronic active gastritis report epigastric pain significantly less than non-diabetics. HP infection probably plays a prominent role in development of epigastric pain in patients with T2DM. Additionally, HP is linked to SIBO, which may lead to bloating, belching and nausea onset.