Background and Aim: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a multifactorial disorder. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-related dyspepsia (HpD) may be considered a separate entity. Duodenal eosinophilia is a potential pathogenic mechanism in FD. However, the impact of duodenal eosinophilia and H. pylori virulence genes in HpD was not explored. We aim to evaluate the association of H. pylori virulence genes and low-grade duodenal eosinophilia in HpD. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 301 patients who meet Rome-III criteria were selected before upper endoscopy, and 95 patients were included after normal endoscopy and positive H. pylori in gastric biopsies were assessed. Clinical parameters, H. pylori virulence genes (cagA, oipA, and vacA) and duodenal histology were evaluated. Results: Sixty-nine (72%) patients had epigastric pain syndrome (EPS), 17 (18%) post-prandial distress syndrome (PDS) and 9 (10%) EPS/PDS overlap. FD syndromes were not associated with cagA or oipA strains. A significantly trend of vacA s1/m1 (78%) and s1/m2 (80%) positive strains in EPS was observed. Histological duodenal grading of chronic inflammation, low-grade duodenal eosinophilia and intra-epithelial lymphocytes showed no difference in oipA and vacA strains. Low-grade duodenal eosinophilia was significant in cagA positive strain, and the OR for low-grade duodenal eosinophilia with H. pylori cagA positive strain was 4.2 (95% CI, 1.78-9.93). Adjusting for age, gender, smoking, diabetes, alcohol, PPI, and NSAID, the OR was 5. 44 (1.989-14.902). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that low-grade duodenal eosinophilia is significantly associated with cagA strain in HpD.

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Methods: Fecal samples were assessed for relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in Healthy Control subjects without Lyme disease (n520) compared to patients with Lyme disease (n539). The average symptom duration in patients with Lyme disease was 5 years and none were on antibiotics 2 weeks prior to sample collection (range of symptoms from 1 month to 20 years, all treated initially with antibiotics).Metagenomics Next Generation sequencing was performed on fecal samples, where DNA samples were extracted and normalized for library downstream analysis using Shotgun Methodology. Mann-Whitney Statistical test was used for comparison. This study was IRB approved. Results: Relative Abundance of bifidobacteria was significantly decreased (p, 0.0001) in patients with Lyme disease. Median and interquartile range (IQR) were: Control (Median:4.175%; IQR:1.72-10.27%) and Lyme disease (Median:0.0014%; IQR:0.00%-0.96%) (Figure). 30/39 Lyme disease patients (77%) were found to possess , 1% relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in their stool sample. Of interest only 1/39 samples showed presence of Spirochetes in stool samples. Conclusion: This is the first study that demonstrates low levels of Bifidobacteria in patients with chronic Lyme disease. These results raise three questions; whether the disease was caused by 1. the original microbe creating loss of Bifidobacterium 2. baseline low Bifidobacteria due likely to either diet or medications or 3. excessive treatment. Given Lyme disease comprises a gut dysbiosis issue, therapies should also aim at restoration of depleted Bifidobacteria.[0551] Figure 1. Lyme disease subjects have significantly (p,0.001) reduced relative abundance of genus bifidobacterium.