Helicobacter pylori and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth role in rosacea

There have been numerous studies that suggest a relationship between H. pylori infection and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) with rosacea. All the previous studies have been small and inconclusive. This new study enrolled 90 subjects with rosacea and a control group of 90 subjects. The 13C urea breath test was used to test for h. pylori infection while SIBO was tested using the glucose hydrogen breath test. The study found that 49% of the rosacea patients tested positive for h. pylori but only 10% tested positive for SIBO. The h. pylori was treated and 97% of the patients experienced rosacea disappearance or marked decrease in skin lesions. These findings lead the authors to conclude that H. pylori has a much more important pathogenic role in rosacea than SIBO.

Ref: United European Gastroenterol J. 2015 Feb

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25653855