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H. pylori infection has been related to many extra gastric disorders, such as neurological, dermatological, cardiovascular, and ocular diseases33. However, the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated ocular diseases remains elusive. We used SS-OCT to measure macular retinal and choroidal thickness in subjects with and without H. pylori infection. The results showed that the choroidal thickness was significantly increased in subjects with H. pylori infection when compared to the choroidal thickness of age- and sex-matched control subjects, whereas no difference was observed in retinal thickness between the two groups. This may suggest a correlation between H. pylori infection and choroidal thickness. Choroid may serve as a link connecting H. pylori infection and eye diseases.
There have been limited studies on the relationship between H. pylori infection and choroidal thickness. Can et al.19 compared the choroidal thickness of 25 subjects with H. pylori infection and 25 subjects without H. pylori infection in Turkey using enhanced depth imaging (EDI)-OCT instead of SS-OCT and identified H. pylori infection as a significant factor for increased choroidal thickness. Similar to this research, in our study, we observed a higher choroidal thickness in subjects with H. pylori infection. In contrast, two other studies conducted in Turkey evaluated the effect of H. pylori infection on choroidal thickness with EDI-OCT, and researchers discovered no significant difference in choroidal thickness between the subjects with and without H. pylori infection27,28. EDI-OCT may have several inherent limitations that can result in these conflicting observations. Firstly, it may not accurately detect the chorioscleral interface (CSI) in some eyes with thicker choroids due to its low penetration through the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). In comparison with EDI-OCT, SS-OCT can detect the CSI in 100% of eyes34. Secondly, in most studies using EDI-OCT, the choroid is manually measured at only one or a few points, which can be influenced by focal thickening or thinning of the choroid, as the CSI may have an irregular shape in some eyes35,36. Thirdly, manual measurement by different subjects can lead to variations in choroidal thickness. SS-OCT has the capacity to surmount these constraints37. In this investigation, the retinal and choroidal thickness was acquired utilizing SS-OCT and subsequently averaged in accordance with the ETDRS grid through automated means, thereby ensuring confirmed reliability.
A second possible factor for the varying results can be ethnic differences among the study populations. The East Asian variant of the CagA protein exhibits greater carcinogenicity and virulence in comparison to its Western counterpart38. As a major virulence determinant, H. pylori cag PAI is associated with gastric mucosal inflammatory cell infiltration and interleukin (IL)-8 secretion38. Possibly, this explains why H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative participants in our study had significantly different choroidal thicknesses.
This study showed that the choroid in the H. pylori (+) group was thicker than that in the H. pylori (−) group. In the study of White et al.39, H. pylori was shown to interact with pattern recognition receptors expressed by gastric epithelial cells and thus activated inflammation. Proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α, interferon γ, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, CCL2-5, CCL20, and CXCL1-3, are upregulated in the infected gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected patients. These cytokines lead to the recruitment of inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages, and increase endothelial permeability. Moreover, virulence factors, such as lipopolysaccharide, immunoglobulin-G antibody, and cross-reactivity of anti-CagA antibodies in response to autoimmunity, may lead to endothelial dysfunction9,40. Increased choroidal endothelial permeability caused by inflammatory cytokines and endothelial dysfunction by direct virulence attack leads to the thickening of the choroid.
The blood-retina-barrier formed by the retinal capillary endothelium and RPE through well-developed tight junction proteins can prevent harmful substances from entering the eye and maintain the physiological environment for a functional retina, which may explain why the retinal thickness is not affected by H. pylori infection.
There are several limitations to the present study. First, the research is a cross-sectional study. It is not possible to observe changes in the retina and choroid during the disease or after treatment. We are currently conducting a longitudinal study with an extended cohort. Second, participants with subclinical diseases that may affect the retina and choroid were included despite all subjects being assessed in detail. Third, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to other populations, as the participants enrolled in this research are all from China.
In summary, the choroid was thicker in subjects with H. pylori infection compared with normal individuals. Increased choroidal thickness may be an early indicator of H. pylori-associated retinal or choroidal diseases.