DO HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND ERADICATION THERAPY STATUS INFLUENCE WEIGHT LOSS OUTCOMES AND ENDOSCOPIC FINDINGS AFTER ROUX-EN-Y GASTRIC BYPASS?A HISTORICAL COHORT STUDY.

Background: Currently, there is conflicting evidence linking Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection with weight loss and endoscopic findings after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB).

Objective: To identify correlations between HP infection and its eradication with weight loss and endoscopic findings after RYGB.

Methods: This is an observational retrospective cohort study based on a prospectively collected database of individuals who underwent RYGB from 2018-2019 at a tertiary university hospital. HP infection and the HP eradication therapy outcomes were correlated with post-operative weight loss and endoscopic findings. Individuals were classified according to the status of HP infection into four groups: no infection; successful eradication; refractory infection; and new-onset infection.

Results: Of 65 individuals, 87% were female and the mean age was 39±11.2 years. Body mass index significantly decreased from 36.2±3.6 to 26.7±3.3 kg/m2 one year after RYGB (P<0.0001). The percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) was 25.9±7.2% and the percentage of excess weight loss was 89.4±31.7%. HP infection prevalence decreased from 55.4% to 27.7% (p=0.001); 33.8% never had HP infection, 38.5% were successfully treated, 16.9% had refractory infection and 10.8 % had new-onset HP infection. %TWL was 27.3±7.5% in individuals who never had HP, 25.4±8.1% in the successfully treated, 25.7±5.2% in those with refractory infection, and 23.4±6.4% in the new-onset HP infection group; there were no significant differences among the four groups (P=0.6). Pre-operative HP infection significantly associated with gastritis (P=0.048). New-onset HP infections significantly associated with a lower frequency of jejunal erosions after surgery (P=0.048).

Conclusion: No effects of the HP infection on weight loss were identified in individuals undergoing RYGB. A higher prevalence of gastritis was observed in individuals with HP infection before RYGB. New-onset HP infection after RYGB was a protective factor for jejunal erosions.