Association between gastric abnormalities and cholelithiasis: A crosssectional study

Abstract

Aim: The study aims to reveal the relationship between the most common abnormalities of the upper digestive tract and cholelithiasis. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 7651 patients, of whom 14318 tested positive for Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori). Patients who underwent abdominal ultrasonography (USG) and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (between January 2014 and June 2022) were included. The following gastroesophageal conditions were examined to determine whether they affect the risk of cholelithiasis: atrophic gastritis (AG), gastric polyps, esophagitis, bile reflux, gastric ulcers, gastric mucosal erosion, superficial gastritis, and gastric H. Pylori infection. Logistic regression was used to calculate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) of H. Pylori infection for cholelithiasis occurrence. In addition, we examined whether AG influences the association between cholelithiasis and H. Pylori infection. Results: A total of 8753 patients (61.1%) were diagnosed with cholelithiasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that H. Pylori infection (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.10-1.42) and atrophic gastritis (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.21-1.41) were significantly associated with cholelithiasis, as were age, female gender (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.56-2.01), gastric polyps (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.06-1.82). No additional interaction was observed between H. Pylori infection and AG; however, the overall effect on the risk of cholelithiasis was only slightly greater than the sum of the individual effects. Discussion: Gastric disorders, such as gastric polyps, H. Pylori infection, and AG, increase the risk of cholelithiasis. However, there was no association between the development of cholelithiasis and esophagitis, bile reflux, erosive gastritis, gastric ulcers, or superficial gastritis.