Rosacea: a cutaneous marker of Helicobacter pylori infection? Results of a pilot study

Acta Derm Venereol. 2003;83(4):282-6. doi: 10.1080/00015550310016544.

Abstract

Given the long purported anecdotal association between rosacea and gastrointestinal disease, the discovery that Helicobacter pylori causes gastritis and duodenal ulcer disease has led to a hypothesized role for this organism in the aetiology of rosacea. We conducted a case-series study of 49 patients to assess the potential association between severity of rosacea and direct and serological evidence of H. pylori infection. Patients were classified by severity into non-inflammatory erythematotelangiectatic or inflammatory/papulopustular rosacea and were tested for current H. pylori infection and evidence of previous exposure. Positive 13C-urea breath test and ELISA tests were more likely to be observed in patients with inflammatory rosacea, although not statistically significantly so (OR = 3.0, p = 0.15 and OR = 2.9, p = 0.16, respectively). However, the proportion of patients who tested positive in both assays (versus negative in at least one) was even higher in the inflammatory rosacea group and neared statistical significance (OR = 4.5, p = 0.06). This pilot study provides sufficient evidence suggestive of a positive association between the severity of rosacea and the presence of H. pylori to warrant further research.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Breath Tests
  • Carbon Radioisotopes / metabolism
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Gastritis / blood
  • Gastritis / complications*
  • Helicobacter Infections / blood
  • Helicobacter Infections / complications*
  • Helicobacter pylori / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Odds Ratio
  • Pilot Projects
  • Rosacea / etiology*
  • Rosacea / pathology
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Urea / metabolism

Substances

  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Urea