Background and study aim: Helicobacter pylori is associated with the inflammation of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues ‎throughout the digestive tract. Infection by H. pylori is related to insulin resistance (IR). The ‎Homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) is a reliable method for assessing IR by basal ‎glucose and insulin levels in humans. The current approach aimed to use the HOMA-IR index to ‎study the relation between H. pylori and IR in non-obese and non-diabetic patients‎‎‎‎‎.
Patients/Materials and Methods: ‎‎‎ ‎62 participants were divided into H. pylori-positive and control groups. All participants were non-‎obese, non-diabetic, and registered in the outpatient virology clinics, Department of ‎Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sohag University Hospital, Egypt. We performed different ‎laboratory investigations such as liver functions, fasting blood sugar, and fasting blood insulin. ‎HOMA-IR was calculated for each participant of the study population‎ ‎‎.‎
Results: H. pylori infections were most common among male (73.5%) compared to females (26.5%) ‎patients with a significant P=0.003. H. pylori infections were associated with higher levels of C ‎reactive protein (CRP), P=0.039. The levels of serum fasting insulin were higher in H. pylori-‎positive patients (16.95±4.67 µU/ml) than the uninfected individuals (10.49 ±6.5 ‎‎µU/ml), P=0.001. The values of the HOMA-IR index were significantly higher (3.8 ±1.16) ‎with H. pylori infection, as well, P=0.001‎‎‎‎.
Conclusion: HOMA-IR index is a reliable indicator of IR in H. pylori-infected patients from Sohag, Egypt. ‎Further longitudinal cohort studies are required to investigate the usage of HOMA-IR to predict H. ‎pylori-associated diseases in different medical centers from Egypt‎‎.