The Relation Betweenhelicobacter Pyloriimmunoglobulin G Seropositivity And Leukocyte Telomere Length In Us Adults From Nhanes 1999-2000

Background Helicobacter pylori(H pylori) immunoglobulin G (IgG) seropositivity is prevalent but its relation with leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a cellular aging biomarker, is unclear. Methods Among 3,472 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycle 1999-2000, LTL was measured with the quantitative polymerase chain reaction.H pyloriIgG was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and defined as seropositivity with an immune status ratio score > 0.9. We used linear regression models to examine the relation ofH pyloriIgG seropositivity with continuous LTL and logistic regression for the relation with short LTL (<10th percentile of the population distribution) adjusting for potential confounders. We stratified the analyses by a priori selected variables. Results Population prevalence ofH pyloriIgG seropositivity was 31.5% in the overall population with higher prevalence found in those with older age, other races than non-Hispanic whites, lower education, and being born out of the United States. Continuous LTL was non-significantly shorter in those withH PyloriIgG seropositivity versus seronegativity (mean difference = -40.3 bp, 95% CI: -112.4, 31.9). This difference was not significant after adjusting for potential confounders nor stratifying by potential effect modifiers.H PyloriIgG seropositivity was significantly associated with short LTL among the elderly (55-75 years, adjusted OR: 3.06, 95% CI: 1.17, 7.99), but not in the overall population (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.81-2.02). Conclusion H PyloriIgG seropositivity was not associated with continuous LTL in the general population but may be associated with an excessively short LTL in the elderly.