Many studies have been performed in the last year concerning the potential role of Helicobacter pylori in different extragastric diseases, reinforcing the idea that specific microorganisms may cause diseases even far from the primary site of infection. While the role of H. pylori on idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, sideropenic anemia, and vitamin B12 deficiency has been well established, there is a growing interest in other conditions, such as cardiovascular, neurologic, dermatologic, obstetric, immunologic, and metabolic diseases. Concerning neurologic diseases, there is a great interest in cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. The aim of this review was to summarize the results of the most relevant studies published over the last year on this fascinating topic.

Background and Aims: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is higher in developing countries and is often linked to lower socioeconomic status. Few studies have investigated the association between H. pylori and individual level characteristics in Europe, where several countries have a high prevalence of H. pylori infection. The study aimed to identify risk factors for H. pylori infection among adults in a large clinical trial in Latvia. Methods: 1,855 participants (40-64 years) of the “Multicenter randomized study of H. pylori eradication and pepsinogen testing for prevention of gastric cancer mortality” (GISTAR study) in Latvia tested for H. pylori IgG antibodies were included in a cross-sectional analysis. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and medical factors were compared for participants seropositive (H. pylori+) and seronegative. Mutually adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated for H. pylori+ and factors significant in univariate analysis (education, smoking, binge drinking, several dietary habits, history of H. pylori eradication and disease), adjusting for age, gender and income. Results: Of the participants 1,044 (55.4%) were H. pylori seropositive. The infection was associated with current (OR: 1.34, 95%CI: 1.01-1.78) and former (OR: 1.38; 95%CI: 1.03-1.85) smoking, binge drinking (OR: 1.35; 95%CI: 1.03-1.78), having ≥200g dairy daily (OR: 1.37; 95%CI: 1.11-1.69), and very hot food/drinks (OR: 1.32; 95%CI: 1.03-1.69) and inversely with ≥400g vegetables/fruit daily (OR: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.60-0.96), history of H. pylori eradication (OR: 0.57; 95%CI: 0.39-0.84), peptic ulcer (OR: 0.55; 95%CI: 0.38-0.80) and cardiovascular disease (OR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.61-0.99). Conclusions: After mutual adjustment, H. pylori seropositivity was associated with lifestyle and in particular dietary factors rather than socioeconomic indicators in contrast to the majority of other studies.

Background and Aims: Although a family history of cancer (FHC) can modify the lifestyle and attitudes towards participation in cancer screening programs, studies on this relationship show mixed results and vary across populations. The objectives of the study were to compare sociodemographic characteristics, history of gastrointestinal (GI) investigations and Helicobacter pylori eradication, and modifiable cancer risk factors between those with FHC and those with no FHC (NFHC), and to investigate the association between FHC and a history of GI investigations. Methods: A total of 3,455 questionnaires from the pilot study of the “Helicobacter pylori eradication and pepsinogen testing for prevention of gastric cancer mortality (GISTAR study)” in Latvia were analysed. We compared sociodemographic characteristics and history of GI investigations between participants with self- reported FHC and NFHC. Binary logistic regression models adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics and modifiable cancer risk factors were built for a FHC and each GI investigation. Results: Participants with a FHC were more likely to be women, have a higher education and less likely to have harmful habits (smoking, alcohol consumption) than those with NFHC. Participants with a FHC were approximately twice as likely to report recent colorectal investigations specifically for screening, than those with NFHC. In fully adjusted logistic regression models, FHC was significantly associated with a recent history of faecal occult blood tests (FOBTs), colonoscopies, and colorectal investigations (FOBT or colonoscopy) specifically for screening as part of the national organized screening programme. Conclusion. Our results indicate that those with a FHC have different patterns of health-related behaviour than those with NFHC.

Since the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in host homeostasis and energy balance, changes in its composition can be associated with disease states through the promotion of immune-mediated inflammatory disorders and increasing intestinal permeability, ultimately leading to the impairment of intestinal barrier function. Za’atar is one of the most popular plant-based foods in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Za’atar is a mixture of different plant leaves, fruits, and seeds and contains hundreds of antioxidant compounds, especially polyphenols, and fiber, with pre-clinical and clinical evidence suggesting health-promoting effects in cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Za’atar compounds have also been studied from a gastrointestinal perspective, concerning both gut microbiota and gastrointestinal diseases. Antioxidants such as Za’atar polyphenols may provide beneficial effects in the complex interplay between the diet, gut microbiota, and intestinal permeability. To our knowledge, no studies have reported the effects of the whole Za’atar mixture, however, based on the pre-clinical studies published on components and single compounds found in Za’atar, we provide a clinical overview of the possible effects on the gastrointestinal tract, focusing mainly on carvacrol, rosmarinic acid, gallic acid, and other polyphenols. We also cover the potential clinical applications of Za’atar mixture as a possible nutraceutical in disorders involving the gastrointestinal tract.

Introduction––Serum pepsinogen tests for gastric cancer screening have been debated for decades. We assessed the performance of two pepsinogen assays with or without gastrin-17 for the detection of different precancerous lesions alone or as a composite endpoint in a Latvian cohort. Methods––Within the intervention arm of the GISTAR population-based study, participants with abnormal pepsinogen values by ELISA or latex-agglutination tests, or abnormal gastrin-17 by ELISA and a subset of subjects with all normal biomarker values were referred for upper endoscopy with biopsies. Performance of biomarkers, corrected by verification bias, to detect five composite outcomes based on atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia or cancer was explored. Results––Data from 1045 subjects were analysed, of those 273 with normal biomarker results. Both pepsinogen assays showed high specificity (>93%) but poor sensitivity (range: 18.4–31.1%) that slightly improved when lesions were restricted to corpus location (40.5%) but decreased when dysplasia and prevalent cancer cases were included (23.8%). Adding gastrin-17 detection, sensitivity reached 33–45% while specificity decreased (range: 61.1–62%) and referral rate for upper endoscopy increased to 38.6%. Conclusions––Low sensitivity of pepsinogen assays is a limiting factor for their use in population-based primary gastric cancer screening, however their high specificity could be useful for triage.