Clinical and laboratory characteristics of Helicobacter pylori serology in patients with diabetic foot infection: A retrospective case-control study

OpenAlex Turkish

Background and Aims: Helicobacter pylori infection is not limited to gastrointestinal diseases and has been associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic disturbances. Emerging evidence suggests that Helicobacter pylori may influence glycemic control and vascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the association between Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin A and immunoblobulin G seropositivity and diabetic foot infection in patients with diabetes mellitus presenting with dyspeptic symptoms. Materials and Method: This retrospective study was conducted between 2023 and 2024 and included 34 patients followed for complicated diabetic foot infection with documented Helicobacter pylori serological data and 34 age- and sex-matched controls without diabetic foot infection. Demographic characteristics, laboratory parameters, and Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G seropositivity rates were compared between groups. Results: Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin A positivity was significantly higher in the patient group than in controls (73.5% vs. 29.4%; p = 0.0006), whereas Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G positivity did not differ between groups. Patients with diabetic foot infection showed significantly higher inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and neutrophil counts compared with controls. Conclusion: Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin A seropositivity was significantly more frequent in patients with diabetic foot infection compared with controls and may reflect increased systemic inflammatory burden in this population. However, because serological tests have limited specificity for detecting active Helicobacter pylori infection, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and considered hypothesis-generating. Larger prospective studies using more accurate diagnostic methods are required to clarify the clinical relevance of this association and to determine whether Helicobacter pylori eradication may influence clinical outcomes in diabetic foot infection.