Stomach bacteria and skin aging: is there a connection?

What is stomach bacteria

Helicobacter can also cause inflammation and irritation of the stomach lining (gastritis). And in rare cases, an untreated infection can lead to stomach cancer.

Helicobacter pylori is a type of germ that lives in the stomach. These bacteria, discovered relatively recently, in 1983, are present in the body of about half of people, and most of them do not even experience any discomfort.

H. pylori multiplies in the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum. The bacteria secrete an enzyme called urease, which converts urea into ammonia. This ammonia protects bacteria from stomach acid. As Helicobacter multiplies, it eats away stomach tissue, leading to gastritis and/or peptic ulcers.

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Atopic dermatitis - herbal medicine

Phytodietology plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of exacerbations. It includes the use of juices from cranberries, black currants, red and chokeberries, beetroot, plum, apple, blueberry, pumpkin, and cabbage juices.

Treatment of Atopic dermatitis with herbal remedies

Several recipes of herbal remedies used for blood pressure.

1. Collection 1. Seed grass 10.0, plantain leaves 10.0, nettle leaves 10.0, wormwood grass 5.0, yarrow grass 5.0, St. John's wort grass 15.0, horsetail grass 10.0, bearberry leaves 20.0. Mix, prepare an infusion of 1 teaspoon/tablespoon (depending on age). Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day before meals, for 1-2 months.
2. Collection 2. Tricolor violet herb 20.0, elecampane root 10.0, St. John's wort herb 15.0, horsetail herb 10.0, hop cones 10.0, oregano herb 10.0, chamomile flowers 15.0, peppermint herb 5.0. Mix. Dose and method of preparing the infusion. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day after meals for 1-2 months.
3. Atopic dermatitis with accompanying constipation. To infusions 1 and 2 add a laxative mixture, infusion of fennel fruits (5.0:200.0), infusion of plantain leaves (10.0:200.0), infusion of caraway fruits (5.09:200.0) or lactulose preparations (Duphalac, Normaza, Lactusan)
4. Atopic dermatitis with a long course of the process, especially in the winter-spring period. Herbal medicines with vitamin properties are used. This is an infusion of nettle leaves (15.0:200.), rose hips (10.0:200.0), black currant leaves and its fruits.
5. Atopic dermatitis with severe weeping, swelling and infiltration of the skin. Infusions of juniper fruits (5.0:200.0), kidney tea leaves (3.5:200.0), horsetail herb (10.0:200.0), and diuretic tea are useful.
6. In order to improve the indicators of nonspecific immunity, use an infusion of black elderberry flowers (5.0:200.0), an infusion of licorice root (10.0:200.0), Eleutherococcus extract or aralia tincture, 2-3 drops (depending on the age of the child) in the morning and evening for 2 weeks .
7. Collection for normalization of carbohydrate metabolism. Infusion of nettle leaves (10.0:200.0), decoction of dandelion root (10.0:200.), infusion of blueberry leaves (10.0:200.0), decoction of burdock root (5.0:200.0). These infusions have anti-inflammatory, antipruritic properties, and have a normalizing effect on the bile ducts and pancreas.

Causes of Helicobacter pylori

The bacteria Helicobacter pylori is present in approximately 50–75% of the world's population and is most often found in children. The infection is most common in developing countries.

People with Helicobacter pylori almost always get it during childhood, probably from other children. It is found in saliva, dental plaque and feces. The infection can be spread through kissing and through the transfer of bacteria from the hands of those who do not wash them after defecation.

Scientists believe that the stomach bacterium can also be transmitted through water and food contaminated with it.

Helicobacter usually remains in the stomach throughout life unless treated with, for example, antibiotics.

And it is still unclear why only some people with this infection develop stomach ulcers.

How to get infected?

Infection with this microorganism is becoming a real problem for modern medicine, because almost every second adult is a carrier of the bacterium

Both adults and children can become infected with Helicobacter pylori. The main route of transmission is fecal-oral, oral-oral. Thus, you can become infected by kissing, sharing utensils, cups, bottles, toothbrushes or lipsticks of other people, through dirty hands, etc.

That is why this bacterium is often called a family problem.

- if it appears in one person, with a high probability expect it to appear in his loved ones.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Most people infected with Helicobacter pylori have no symptoms.

Typically, signs of the presence of bacteria in the body can be seen with the development of gastritis or peptic ulcers. These include:

• Dull or burning pain in the stomach (usually a few hours after eating and at night). The pain lasts from several minutes to several hours.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Bloating.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Indigestion (dyspepsia).
• Belching.
• Loss of appetite.
• Dark stool (due to blood in it).

If you suspect you have Helicobacter pylori, your healthcare provider may order one or more of the following tests:

• Breath test. The point is that the patient exhales into the bag before and after drinking a special solution. The test measures the amount of carbon dioxide released. A higher level after drinking the solution indicates the presence of gastric bacteria.
• Study of endoscopic material. A flexible tube is inserted through the throat and into the stomach. A small sample of tissue from the lining of the stomach or intestines is taken to test for the presence of Helicobacter pylori.
• Stool analysis. The most traditional method for identifying bacteria.

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Nutrition for atopic dermatitis

A few words about nutrition in patients with AD. Nutrition for patients with AD in many cases does not play as big a role as is often believed. There are a huge number of foods that have been shown to be associated with blood pressure, but ultimately the real factor is only individual sensitivity. There is a whole range of potentially dangerous foods, and each patient must create an individual diet. Patients with AD need to follow a nutritious diet and avoid strict diets, especially in childhood.

Foods that may have a negative effect on Atopic Dermatitis:

• Spicy, smoked products,
• spices,
• alcohol,
• vegetables (peppers, radishes, sauerkraut, celery, tomatoes),
• nuts,
• sweets (honey, sugar, dried fruits, chocolate),
• strong meat broths,
• marinades,
• coffee, cocoa,
• eggs, milk,
• fish,
• food additives, preservatives, food colorings.

The patient himself must actively participate in the process of healing his body. Particular attention should be paid to such important events as:

• complete nutrition,
• giving up sugar
• eating dietary fiber (bran, pectin, complex carbohydrates),
• consumption of fermented milk products fermented with lactobacilli, or preparations with lactobacilli,
• giving up pork.

The influence of Helicobacter Pylori on cell aging processes

H. pylori causes a variety of non-gastrointestinal diseases. In particular, the bacterium provokes many skin problems:

• Chronic urticaria. Several studies have found an association between H. pylori infection and chronic urticaria. It is believed that Helicobacter increases the permeability of the gastric mucosa and thus increases the impact of allergens in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the immune response to H. pylori produces antibodies that can release histamine in the skin.
• Rosacea. Stomach bacteria can also increase levels of nitrous oxide in the blood or tissues, which contributes to the redness of rosacea.
• Psoriasis. H. pylori may be one of the organisms that can cause the inflammatory response in psoriasis.
• Sjögren's syndrome. Helicobacter pylori can cause an autoimmune reaction in the skin and glands, causing Sjögren's syndrome.

Gastric bacteria are also associated with other ailments:

• Alopecia areata;
• Atopic dermatitis;
• Behçet's disease;
• Generalized itching;
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura;
• Lichen planus, etc.

Several small studies have shown that eradicating H. pylori has a positive effect on skin diseases such as urticaria, Behçet's disease, lichen planus, atopic dermatitis, Sweet's disease, and systemic sclerosis.

In addition, it turned out that Helicobacter pylori produces a large number of proteins with a pronounced immunogenic effect, which are “responsible” for the development of inflammatory reactions.

They also secrete cytotoxins (oncoproteins) that inhibit the proliferation and motility of epithelial cells. Thus, in 2010, it was already shown that the secretion of the cytotoxin CagA by H. Pylori induces cellular aging of human gastric epithelial cells and ultimately leads to gastrointestinal disorders and systemic inflammation.

In a study published in the journal Biogerontology, Polish geneticists tried to explain the direct damaging effect of H. Pylori on the skin. In their opinion, it occurs due to the stimulation of stress-induced premature aging of skin cells, in particular fibroblasts and keratinocytes. Researchers believe that this effect of H. Pylori will also be due to an increase in the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, inflammation, epigenetic changes and DNA damage. All of these are also biomarkers of cellular aging.

Note that aging cells are capable of synthesizing pro-inflammatory compounds (interleukins, growth factors), which can have an adverse effect on surrounding cells and tissues.

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Methods

Search for studies

The search for studies was carried out in electronic databases MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) with a sample size from January 1, 1990 to November 2022. In these databases, we analyzed titles and abstracts. To search the MEDLINE/PubMed database, the following combinations of keywords were used: acne(Title/Abstract) helicobacter(Title/Abstract) or acne(Title/Abstract) pylori(Title/Abstract), or acne vulgaris(Title/Abstract) helicobacter(Title /Abstract), as well as their analogues in Russian (for searching in the RSCI database).

Study selection criteria

Criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis: relevant publications in periodical peer-reviewed publications in English or Russian, as well as publications with detailed descriptive statistics that allow the resulting data to be included in the meta-analysis. The subjects of the study were patients with acne, in whom the frequency of detection of H. pylori infection was analyzed. Works devoted to studies in patients with rosacea were excluded from the analysis. If duplication of results was detected in two publications (from different or the same electronic database), one of them was selected for the final analysis.

Data extraction

Two investigators (D.N.A. and R.M.W.) independently extracted data using standardized forms. We analyzed the year of publication, country, methodology for diagnosing H. pylori infection, the total sample size of patients with acne, the number of H. pylori-infected patients, the number of control subjects, the number of H. pylori-infected among control subjects. Any disagreements were resolved by agreement.

Statistical analysis

Statistical data processing was carried out using special software MedCalc 19.5.3 (Belgium) in Microsoft Windows 10 (USA). Results are presented as the pooled incidence of H. pylori infection in acne patients (%) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Heterogeneity between different studies was assessed using Cochrane's Q and I2 criteria. At p<0.05 and I2>50, the presence of significant heterogeneity was stated. The likelihood of publication bias was assessed by constructing a funnel scatterplot, as well as calculating the Begg-Mazumdar correlation test and the Egger regression test.

Brief conclusions

• Helicobacter pylori is a type of germ that lives in the stomach. As Helicobacter multiplies, it eats away stomach tissue, leading to gastritis and/or peptic ulcers.

• The bacteria Helicobacter pylori is present in approximately 50–75% of the world's population and is most often found in children.

• Most people infected with Helicobacter pylori have no symptoms.

• The bacterium provokes some dermatological diseases.
• Some studies suggest a connection between Helicobacter and premature skin aging.

List of used literature

• Isakov V.A. Helicobacteriosis / V.A. Isakov, I.V. Domaradsky // Medical practice. - M. - 2003. - 411 p.

• Maev I.V., Samsonov A.A., Andreev N.G., Kochetov S.A. Evolution of ideas about the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection (based on the Maastricht IV consensus, Florence 2010) // Bulletin of a practical doctor. — 2012. Special issue 1 — P. 6-30.
• Uspensky Yu.P., Suvorov A.N., Baryshnikova N.V. Helicobacter pylori infection in clinical practice. St. Petersburg: InformMed, 2011. - 587 p.