Association between Helicobacter pylori, reflux and chronic rhinosinusitis: a systematic review

Background: The prevalence, role, and clinical relevance of Helicobacter Pylori (HP) in sinonasal tissues of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis remain unclear. Objective: To investigate the prevalence and clinical relevance of Helicobacter Pylori (HP) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSSNP). Methods: Three investigators conducted a PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library systematic review of the prevalence and clinical relevance of HP infection in CRS patients through the PRISMA framework. A bias analysis was conducted to identify potential heterogeneity and biases across studies. Results: Of the 42 identified studies, 20 met the inclusion criteria, accounting for 741 CRS patients and 368 controls. HP was detected in 37.1% (n = 127/342) of polyps of CRSwNP patients with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 32.7% (n = 37/113) of polyp tissue with the immunohistochemistry (IHC). Controls reported a nasal PCR and IHC detection rates of 14.8% (n = 36/243) and 3.6% (n = 3/84), respectively. The HP rate did not differ between CRSwNP and CRSsNP. Among patients with CRS, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing detected blood HP antigens in 48.7% (n = 74/152) of CRS patients and 41.6% (n = 37/89) of controls. The detection of HP in polyps was associated with the severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). There was an important heterogeneity between studies for the inclusion criteria, methods of HP detection, and reflux outcomes. Conclusion: Helicobacter Pylori can be detected in one-third of sinonasal tissues from patients with CRS and can be considered a biomarker of GERD. The potential role of HP in the development of CRS remains unclear. The heterogeneity between studies limits the drawing of valid conclusions.