Polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary supplementation: An adjuvant approach to treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection

Recent studies suggest that PUFAs may have a role in both duodenal ulcer in cidence and H. pylori growth in vitro. This study investigated the effect o f dietary PUFA supplementation on H. pylori in vivo. Fifteen H. pylori positive patients with mild functional dyspepsia were enr olled. H, pylori was histologically detected using both rapid urease test a nd histology by a blinded observer. Two grams of a dietary mixture of fish oil and blackcurrant seed oil (v/v) were fed daily for eight weeks and magn itude H. pylori infection determined both at the end of treatment and six m onths later. H. pylori clearance was obtained in eight out fifteen patients (53%). No mi gration of bacterium from antrum to fundus was observed. H. pylori eradicat ion was obtained in 20% of these patients. The oil mixture used in this study produced good bacterial clearance, but p oor H. pylori eradication. The effect of PUFA on H. pylori clearance may be due to modification of cellular membranes of both bacterium and host. Thes e changes may reduce H, pylori virulence by interfering with bacterial adhe sion to gastric epithelial cells or through a direct bactericidal effect on the micro-organism. If these data are confirmed, PUFA may be considered ha s adjuvant treatment for drugs usually employed for H, pylori eradication. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.