Reply

We would like to respond to Ponzetto and Figura's letter. We agree that Helicobacter pylori is a relevant pathogen for a large variety of patients. However, we believe that the link between interleukin 6 (IL6) and mortality in end-stage liver disease is not related to H pylori. Many different pathogens have been shown to have an impact on the prognosis of these patients; yet, based on the current literature, there is no convincing argument for why H pylori should be of paramount importance. Furthermore, patients in our cohort were checked at regular intervals by gastroscopy for H pylori colonization, which was treated if a positive result was found.

https://ift.tt/2qKG6gu