Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2024; 30(37): 4090-4103
Published online Oct 7, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i37.4090
Effects and mechanisms of Helicobacter pylori infection on the occurrence of extra-gastric tumors
Shi-Qing Zhao, Hui-Ling Zheng, Xiao-Tian Zhong, Zi-Ye Wang, Yi Su, Yan-Yan Shi
Shi-Qing Zhao, Xiao-Tian Zhong, Zi-Ye Wang, Yi Su, Yan-Yan Shi, Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
Shi-Qing Zhao, Xiao-Tian Zhong, Zi-Ye Wang, Yi Su, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
Hui-Ling Zheng, Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China
Co-first authors: Shi-Qing Zhao and Hui-Ling Zheng.
Author contributions: Zhao SQ and Zheng HL contributed to drafting the manuscript and making charts; Shi YY was responsible for designing and revising this review; Zhong XT, Wang ZY, and Su Y provided suggestions and contributed to discussion; All authors have read and approved the article.
Supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation, No. J230002.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yan-Yan Shi, MD, Professor, Research Center of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University Third Hospital, No. 49 Garden North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100191, China. shiyanyan@bjmu.edu.cn
Received: April 9, 2024
Revised: August 23, 2024
Accepted: September 12, 2024
Published online: October 7, 2024
Processing time: 170 Days and 7.2 Hours
Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonizes the human stomach and many studies have discussed the mechanisms of H. pylori infection leading to gastric diseases, including gastric cancer. Additionally, increasing data have shown that the infection of H. pylori may contribute to the development of extra-gastric diseases and tumors. Inflammation, systemic immune responses, microbiome disorders, and hypergastrinemia caused by H. pylori infection are associated with many extra-gastric malignancies. This review highlights recent discoveries; discusses the relationship between H. pylori and various extra-gastric tumors, such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder carcinoma; and explores the mechanisms of extra-gastric carcinogenesis by H. pylori. Overall, these findings refine our understanding of the pathogenic processes of H. pylori, provide guidance for the clinical treatment and management of H. pylori-related extra-gastric tumors, and help improve prognosis.

Keywords: Helicobacter pylori; Extra-gastric tumors; Immune system response; Mucosal barrier; Gut microbiome

Core Tip: Apart from gastric diseases, several studies have revealed an association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and extra-gastric diseases, including cancers. Inflammation, systemic immune responses, microbiome disorders, and hypergastrinemia caused by H. pylori may change the tumor microenvironment and eventually contribute to extra-gastric carcinogenesis. However, the research in this field remains controversial. We summarized the effects of H. pylori infection on the occurrence of extra-gastric tumors and their possible mechanisms, hoping to provide insights for clinical treatment and management of H. pylori-related extra-gastric tumors, as well as help improve prognosis.