Helicobacter pylori infection: further evidence for the role of feco-oral transmission

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection is recognized as a major cause of chronic digestive diseases with a major public health impact, yet the knowledge of transmission pathways is limited. We studied the transmission in employees taking care of institutionalized persons with mental disabilities with a documented high prevalence of H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six hundred and seventy-one health-care workers were screened for H. pylori serology. For each employee, information was collected on age, sex, father's and mother's education level, number of household members and number of children sleeping in the same bedroom during childhood, as well as lifestyle factors such as smoking and tropical journeys and occupational exposure data such as type of contact with inhabitants (changing napkins with stools, washing inhabitants, feeding inhabitants, personal contact) and seniority in the institution. RESULTS: Seroprevalence for H. pylori increased significantly with age. In univariate analysis, risk factors for H. pylori positivity were (age-adjusted): father's education, mean length of employment, smoking, contact with fecal materials of inhabitants, washing and feeding of inhabitants. Controlling for confounders, in multiple logistic regression analysis, only fecal contact remained as a significant risk factor for H. pylori infection. CONCLUSIONS: In health-care workers caring for a population with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection, there is an association with fecal transmission. This, however, does not rule out the possibility of other ways of transmission.     

益生菌四联疗法对比铋剂四联疗法根除幽门螺杆菌感染的Meta分析

目的 系统评价益生菌四联疗法对比铋剂四联疗法根除幽门螺杆菌（H. pylori）感染的疗效和不良反应。方法 计算机检索中英文数据库,收集上述2种方案根除H. pylori感染的随机对照试验（RCT）,检索时间均从建库至2016年10月。由2名评价员独立筛选文献、提取资料、评价纳入研究的偏倚风险,采取RevMan 5.3软件进行Meta分析。结果 最终纳入12个RCT（共1 687例患者）。Meta分析结果显示：益生菌四联组患者对比铋剂四联组的H. pylori根除率按ITT分析为：80.6% vs 81.2%;按PP分析为：81.2% vs 83.7%,差异无统计学意义（ITT分析：RR=0.99,95%CI：0.95~1.04,P=0.76;PP分析：RR=0.97,95%CI：0.93~1.01,P=0.17）;益生菌四联组的总不良反应的发生率明显低于对照组（16.0% vs 34.9%）,且差异有统计学意义（RR=0.46,95%CI：0.37~0.57,P＜0.01）。结论 现有证据显示,益生菌四联疗法与铋剂四联疗法的H. pylori根除率相当,但益生菌四联疗法的不良反应低于铋剂四联疗法。由于纳入研究数量有限,质量不高,上述结论有待高质量的研究予以验证。     

Intrafamilial transmission of Helicobacter pylori among the population of endemic areas in Japan

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a worldwide phenomenon related to several gastrointestinal diseases. However, because many aspects concerning the route of transmission remain unclear, we performed this epidemiologic study to clarify the route of intrafamilial transmission of H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in three widely separate areas in Japan to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori infection. In 1993, 613 residents were tested as were 4136 in 2002, including 1447 family members of 625 families. Antibody to H. pylori (anti-H. pylori) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: In 2002, the age-adjusted anti-H. pylori prevalence in Hoshino Village (67.5%) was significantly higher than in Kasuya Town (55.0%) and in Ishigaki City (54.7%) (p < .0001, p = .0039, respectively). The age-adjusted anti-H. pylori prevalence of Ishigaki City significantly decreased from 1993 (68.4%) to 2002 (52.5%), showing an age cohort effect. However, the prevalence did not significantly differ in children aged 0-6 years of Ishigaki City between 1993 (9.6%) and 2002 (10.3%). A familial analysis in 2002 demonstrated that the prevalence of anti-H. pylori was significantly higher in children with anti-H. pylori-positive (21.6%, 22 of 102) than with -negative mothers (3.2%, 3 of 95) (p < .0001, by Mantel-Haenszel test), whereas there was no significant difference between children with anti-H. pylori-positive and -negative fathers. Moreover, the prevalence was significantly higher in wives with anti-H. pylori-positive (64.0%, 208 of 325) than with -negative husbands (46.5%, 80 of 172) (p = .0071, by Mantel-Haenszel test) and in husbands with anti-H. pylori-positive (72.2%, 208 of 288) than with -negative wives (56.0%, 117 of 209) (p = .0106, by Mantel-Haenszel test). CONCLUSIONS: In the last decade, H. pylori infection decreased in the general population of Japan by improvement of general hygiene conditions, but did not differ in young children, most likely because of mother-to-child transmission.     

Twice-a-day bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: a randomized trial of 10 and 14 days

Background: Bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy given twice a day for 14 days has been shown to be an excellent first‐line H. pylori eradication therapy. Aim: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of twice‐a‐day bismuth‐containing quadruple H. pylori eradication therapy for 10 versus 14 days in a noninferiority trial. Methods: Dyspeptic patients with H. pylori infection and naïve to H. pylori treatment were randomly assigned to: pantoprazole 20 mg, tetracycline 500 mg, metronidazole 500 mg, and bismuth subcitrate caplets 240 mg given b.i.d. (with the midday and evening meals) for 10 or 14 days. Eradication was defined by negative UBT and/or histology 4–6 weeks posttherapy. Efficacy and side effects were determined. Results: A total of 417 patients were randomized (153 men, 264 women; median age 52). Per protocol (PP) treatment success with 14 and 10 days was essentially identical [i.e., 96% (95% CI: 92–98) vs 95% (95% CI: 91–98) for 14 days versus 10 days, respectively. Results with intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis were also similar (92% (95% CI, 87–95) vs 92% (95% CI, 88–96)) for 14 and 10 days, respectively. Compliance was excellent in both groups. Side effects were generally mild and similar between groups. Fatigue, discomfort, and vomiting were more common in those in the 14‐day group. The 10‐day regimen costs € 17.65 (ie, approximately 25%) less than the 14‐day regimen. Conclusions: Bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy remained highly effective (i.e., ≥95% PP and >90% ITT) despite reducing the duration from 14 to 10 days.     

Organ-specific autoantibodies in children with Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND: We compared the prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies in a group of Helicobacter pylori infected children and a group of uninfected children and investigated the relationship between the presence of relevant autoantibodies and the status of the target organs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four children with dyspepsia (54 boys, 70 girls; mean age 10.5 years; range 4-19) underwent gastroscopy: 56 had H. pylori infection (31 girls, 25 boys), while 68 (37 girls and 31 boys), were H. pylori-negative. All sera were tested for the presence of: parietal cell autoantibodies (PCA), intrinsic factor autoantibodies (IFA), microsomial autoantibodies, thyroglobulin autoantibodies, islet cell autoantibodies, glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies, adrenal cortex autoantibodies, steroid-producing cell autoantibodies; gastrin, pepsinogen A, pepsinogen C and anti-H. pylori antibodies. The histological features and the ureA and cagA genes were also considered. RESULTS: The frequency of organ-specific autoantibodies was higher in patients with H. pylori infection than in uninfected patients (chi2-test p < .0001). Specifically gastric autoantibodies were significantly higher: seven of the 56 H. pylori-positive children were PCA-positive and one was IFA-positive (chi2-test p = .0004). The presence of autoantibodies was not associated with any clinical or biohumoral signs of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study detected a relationship between H. pylori infection in childhood and the presence of organ-specific autoantibodies unassociated with any clinical or biohumoral signs of disease. Helicobacter pylori infection in childhood could trigger the onset of clinical autoimmune gastritis, and/or other clinical autoimmune diseases.     

酪酸梭菌辅助根除幽门螺杆菌感染的Meta分析

目的 系统评价酪酸梭菌辅助根除幽门螺杆菌（Helicobacter pylori,H. pylori）感染的疗效和安全性。方法 计算机检索PubMed、CENTRAL（2016年7期）、CBM、CNKI、万方数据库、维普数据库,同时追溯纳入文献和相关综述的参考文献,收集关于酪酸梭菌辅助根除H. pylori感染的随机对照试验（RCT）,检索时间均从建库至2016年7月30日。由两名评价员根据纳入排除标准筛选文献、提取资料、评价纳入研究的偏倚风险,采取RevMan 5.3进行Meta分析。结果 最终纳入13个RCT,共1 372例患者（其中试验组742例,对照组630例）。Meta分析结果显示：与标准根除方案相比,酪酸梭菌辅助治疗组有利于提高H. pylori的根除率（RR=1.26,95%CI：1.18~1.34,P＜0.00001）,并且降低总不良反应（RR=0.41,95%CI：0.32~0.52,P＜0.00001）、腹泻（RR=0.31,95%CI：0.16~0.58,P=0.0003）、味觉紊乱的发生率（RR=0.35,95%CI：0.17~0.73,P=0.005）;然而,在腹胀、恶心的发生率上,酪酸梭菌辅助治疗组虽低于标准方案组,但差异无统计学意义。结论 当前证据显示酪酸梭菌联合标准方案不仅可提高H. pylori的根除率,还能降低总不良反应、腹泻及味觉紊乱的发生。受纳入研究的质量和数量的限制,上述结论有待更多高质量的研究予以验证。     

Amoxicillin/tetracycline combinations are inadequate as alternative therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection

Background. Triple therapy with proton pump inhibitors or ranitidine bismuth citrate, clarithromycin and either amoxicillin or nitroimidazole derivatives are the present gold standards for cure of Helicobacter pylori infection. However, primary resistance to either clarithromycin or nitroimidazole derivatives is increasing and alternative therapies are needed. Aim. To determine the efficacy and safety of three regimens consisting of amoxicillin and tetracycline or doxycycline combined with either lansoprazole or ranitidine bismuth citrate. Methods. Two hundred and seventy H. pylori infected patients were randomly given one of the following treatments: amoxicillin 1 g twice a day (b.i.d.) plus tetracycline 500 mg four times a day (q.i.d.) with either lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. (group LAT) or ranitidine bismuth citrate 400 mg b.i.d. (group RBCAT) for 7 days and amoxicillin 1 g b.i.d. plus doxycycline 100 mg b.i.d. and lansoprazole 30 mg b.i.d. for 14 days (group LAD). Eradication rate was assessed by UBT at 4–6 weeks after therapy. Results. The three groups (LAT, RBCAT, and LAD) of patients achieved eradication rates of 35% (25–45), 20% (12–29) and 36% (25–46), respectively, on intention‐to‐treat analysis. Patient compliance was optimal and side‐effects minimal in all three groups. Conclusions. Although the amoxicillin/tetracycline combination is attractive (inexpensive, safe, and with low primary resistance rate), it can not be recommended for H. pylori eradication.     

Moxifloxacin-containing triple therapy versus bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for second-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection: a meta-analysis

Background: Moxifloxacin‐containing triple therapy has been suggested as an alternative second‐line therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection. Aims: To systematically review the efficacy and tolerance of moxifloxacin‐containing triple therapy in second‐line H. pylori eradication, and to conduct a meta‐analysis of studies comparing this regimen with bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy. Materials and Methods: Electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Cochrane controlled trials register, Web of Science, PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (updated to December 2010), and manual searches were conducted. A meta‐analysis of all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing moxifloxacin‐containing triple therapy to bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy in the second‐line treatment of H. pylori infection was performed. Results: Seven RCTs including 787 patients were assessed. The meta‐analysis showed that the eradication rate in the moxifloxacin group was significantly higher than that in the quadruple therapy group (74.9 vs 61.4%, OR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.38–2.58, p < .0001); besides, the rates of side effects and discontinuing therapy because of side effects in the moxifloxacin group were significantly lower than those in the quadruple therapy group (side effects: 10.1 vs 27.8%, OR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.18–0.41, p < .00001; discontinuing therapy because of side effects: 1.4 vs 8.2%, OR 0.18, 95% CI: 0.08–0.40, p < .0001). These results were constant in the sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: Moxifloxacin‐containing triple regimen is more effective and better tolerated than the bismuth‐containing quadruple therapy in the second‐line treatment of H. pylori infection.     

幽门螺杆菌感染诊断方法的比较

目的:考核各种H.pylori感染诊断方法,试图证明分离培养仍是细菌性感染诊断的最可靠方法.方法:315例胃十二指肠疾病患者同时进行胃活检组织分离培养,病理切片找菌,快速脲酶试验,14CO2呼气试验检查,比较它们之间的检出率差异.结果:四种方法各自的总检出率差异无显著性.以分离培养为金标准,其他方法的误诊误治率可达12.06%～22.22%.各种诊断方法对H.pylori感染的实际检出率差异存在着显著性.结论:本研究提示,分离培养应为H.pylori感染临床诊断的金标准.