Helicobacter Pylori Is Present In People Who Have Gallbladder Disease

Several studies reveal the presence of H pylori in gallbladder tissue but it’s not clear whether the H pylori itself causes gallbladder disease. H pylori can cause severe damage in the stomach and intestine of infected individuals, leading to peptic and duodenal ulcers, as well as gastric cancer. It is plausible that the infection can also damage gallbladder tissue.

Furthermore, H pylori infection can cause stomach acid levels to drop, which may have a domino effect on the hormonal signals optimizing gallbladder function. As such, a sluggish gallbladder may develop, leading to inflammation and gallstones.

I have personally noticed a very strong association between gallbladder surgery and H pylori diagnosis in people over the last half-decade of work in this area. I believe a lot of gallbladder surgery could be avoided if the necessary common-sense steps were taken to optimize gallbladder function first.

Researchers from the Russian Academy of science looked at 24 biopsy specimens of the gallbladder mucous membrane from the patients with gallstone disease and 24 specimens of bile obtained from patients with noncalculous cholecystitis. The researchers reported some interesting findings:

• Bacteria with vacAs1 H. pylori genotype were revealed in 16 (66. 6%) specimens of the gallbladder wall.
• H pylori strains with vacAs1/m2 genotype were found in 45.8% of cases.
• H. pylori isolates with cagA and babA genotype were not detected in the gallbladder wall.
• Bacteria with vacAs1/m2 (12. 5%) genotype were revealed in three bile specimens.
• The marker of H. pylori cagA pathogenicity island was detected in 6 specimens (25%).
• BabA H. pylori positive strains were detected in 3 (12.5%) patients.
• Combination of vacAs1/m2, cagA and babA genotypes was observed in three specimens obtained from the patients with chronic noncalculous cholecystitis.

Some of this may appear as scientific jargon to you. To summarize, the researchers detected various strains of H pylori in different sample types. It would appear that certain strains, but not others, could well be associated with different gallbladder issues.

The vacAs1 and vacAs1/m2 H pylori strains were frequently present in people with gallstones, but the BabA and CagA strains were not.

However in the bile samples from patients with chronic noncalculous cholecystitis, CagA and BabA, along with vacAs1/m2 were detected.

Reference

J. V. Valeeva. Genotypying of H. pylori strains isolated from inflammatory diseases of the gallbladder. European Helicobacter Study Group. XXIII International Workshop on Helicobacter and Related Bacteria in Chronic Digestive Inflammation and Gastric Cancer. Rotterdam, September 16–18, 2010. P.335.

Dave Hompes’ Comments

Here is yet another study demonstrating a possible role of H pylori infection in gallbladder disease. Whilst we cannot deduce from such studies that H pylori infections definitely cause gallbladder disease, we must look at the situation with an open mind.

First, H pylori can cause severe damage in the stomach and intestine and it’s entirely plausible the same damage can occur in the gallbladder.

Second, in many cases H pylori bacteria reduce stomach acid levels in chronic cases, leading to atrophic gastritis. Low stomach acid reduces the efficiency of the gallbladder, leading to “sluggish” function, which in turn may enhance the formation of gallstones.

Third, in my experience, a large proportion of H pylori patients undergo gallbladder surgery, providing anecdotal evidence of a link between the infection and poor gallbladder health.

Fourth, not all H pylori bacteria are created equal. Some strains appear to be more virulent than others. The relationship between each person and his or her respective infection likely creates the symptom or disease outcome.

Recommendations That May Help You Overcome H Pylori:

• If you have Helicobacter pylori and want to learn more about it without staring at a computer screen for hours on end, all the information on this website, as well as detailed diet and supplement program for healing your digestive system can be found in my book, The H Pylori Diet.

• The program in The H Pylori Diet also helps you remove foods that may potentially cause gallbladder problems, whilst replacing them with delicious alternatives.

• To have a healthy gut lining, parasites, fungal overgrowth and other unwanted invaders should be removed. Read about our comprehensive stool testing services to find out how this powerful tool can help you overcome chronic symptoms. Click here for more information.

• If you would like one-to-one, discreet, personalized support from one of the Hompes Method team, please click here. Ever since I was diagnosed with H pylori in 2007 – having eradicated it using diet changes, herbs and nutritional supplements – it has been my mission to help people like you around the world understand and overcome health challenges using an integrated health approach. Where possible we work closely with the medical profession to combine the best of conventional medicine with our cutting edge clinical nutrition and functional medicine techniques. It is our hope that we can help you achieve your health related goals.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by using the web-form, below.

In love and light,

Dave Hompes & The Hompes Method team