Hg. Peach et al., Helicobacter pylori infection is not a correlate of plasma fibrinogen in the Australian population, CLIN LAB H, 21(1), 1999, pp. 41-43
Plasma fibrinogen concentration is an important independent risk factor for
cardiovascular disease. Studies into whether Helicobacter pylori infection
and fibrinogen are associated have yielded inconsistent results. Despite t
he geographical variation in fibrinogen and prevalence of H. pylori infecti
on, all studies to date have been undertaken in the United Kingdom or Italy
. The association between H. pylori infection and fibrinogen was investigat
ed in 324 adults, 65% of a random sample, in an Australian regional city. T
he mean plasma fibrinogen concentration in 98 infected participants (2.52 g
/l) was similar to that in 226 non-infected subjects (2.58 g/l, P = 0.51);
95% confidence interval on the difference was -0.23-0.11 g/l. After includi
ng all potential confounding factors in a backward multiple linear regressi
on analysis, H. pylori was still not associated with fibrinogen (P = 0.084)
. Any association between H. pylori and cardiovascular disease in Australia
is not mediated through fibrinogen.