Helicobacter pylori is not a determinant factor of persistent diarrhoea or malnutrition in Peruvian children
J A Castro-Rodríguez1, R León-Barúa, M Penny
1Gastrointestinal Physiology Working Group, Cayetano Heredia University, Lima, Peru. jacastro@resp-sci.arizona.edu
Insights
Helicobacter pylori infection, identified by IgG antibodies, was not linked to acute or persistent diarrhea in Peruvian infants. This study found no association between H. pylori and common childhood gastrointestinal issues or malnutrition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Childhood diarrhea remains a significant health concern globally.
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a common pathogen, but its role in pediatric diarrhea is not fully understood.
- Previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding H. pylori's association with diarrheal diseases in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and acute or persistent diarrhea in infants and young children in Peru.
- To determine if H. pylori infection influences the presence of small-bowel overgrowth, enteric pathogens, or malnutrition in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 119 Peruvian infants (3-36 months) was studied, including those with acute diarrhea, persistent diarrhea, and no diarrhea.
- Specific IgG antibodies to H. pylori were measured using ELISA.
- Duodenal aspirates and stool samples were analyzed for bacterial overgrowth and pathogens.
- Anthropometric measurements were taken to assess nutritional status.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of H. pylori IgG antibodies did not differ significantly across groups: 32% in acute diarrhea, 43% in persistent diarrhea, and 29% in controls.
- H. pylori infection showed no significant association with small-bowel overgrowth (20% vs. 18% in seropositive vs. seronegative children).
- No correlation was found between H. pylori status and the presence of stool pathogens (53% vs. 49%) or malnutrition.
Conclusions:
- Helicobacter pylori infection is not associated with the development of acute or persistent diarrhea in Peruvian children.
- H. pylori does not appear to play a significant role in small-bowel bacterial overgrowth, enteric pathogen carriage, or malnutrition in this pediatric cohort.
- These findings suggest that H. pylori is unlikely to be a primary etiological agent for diarrheal diseases in the studied population.
Abstract:
To investigate the role of Helicobacter pylori in childhood diarrhoea, specific IgG antibodies to H. pylori (determined by an ELISA) were sought in 119 infants aged 3-36 months in Peru. Thirty one of the infants had acute diarrhoea (defined as lasting < 72 h and not present in the previous 3 weeks), 67 had persistent diarrhoea (lasting > or = 14 days with no more than 1 intervening diarrhoea-free day) and the remaining 21 had not had diarrhoea in the previous 3 weeks. The children with diarrhoea had been admitted to hospital in Lima for diarrhoea treatment, and the diarrhoea-free children for investigation of possible tuberculosis. Aspirates of duodenal contents and duplicate stool samples were investigated for the presence of bacterial overgrowth and of pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites. Anthropometric measurements were also made. There were no statistically significant differences between the prevalence rates of IgG against H. pylori in the children with acute diarrhoea, persistent diarrhoea and without diarrhoea (32%, 43% and 29%, respectively). In addition, H. pylori infection (as evidenced by specific antibodies) had no apparent influence on the presence of small-bowel overgrowth (in 20% of seropositive children compared with 18% of seronegative children) or of pathogens in the stool (in 53% of seropositive children compared with 49% of seronegative children) or on the occurrence of malnutrition in the groups of children considered as a whole. We conclude that H. pylori infection is not associated with acute or persistent diarrhoeal disease, small-bowel overgrowth, stool pathogens or malnutrition in Peruvian children.
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