Investigation into the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection with carbon 14 urea breath test in patients with vitiligo

Background/aim: Vitiligo is a common, acquired depigmenting skin disorder. The relationship between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and autoimmune dermatological disease has been previously reported. However, the frequency of HP infection in patients with vitiligo has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of HP infection with the carbon 14 (C14) urea breath test (UBT) in patients with vitiligo. Materials and methods: This study included 34 patients (18 males and 16 females) with vitiligo and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. HP infection was diagnosed using the C14 UBT (Heliprobe). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 19. Results: The frequency of HP infection was 64.7% in the patient group and 33.3% in the control group according to the C14 UBT (chi-square test, P = 0.012). HP infection frequency is statistically significantly higher in patients with vitiligo. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of the frequency of HP positivity in patients with vitiligo. To better understand the role of HP in vitiligo as an etiological or initiating factor, further experimental and clinical studies with a greater number of patients are needed.