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Gastric Mucosa Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis for Detecting Helicobacter pylori and Antibiotic Resistance
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Urease activity does not reflect the degree of colonization by Helicobacter pylori in children

Rodrigo Strehl Machado1, Elisabete Kawakami, Francy Reis Da Silva Patrício

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology Division, Peptic Diseases Outpatient Clinic, Sao Paulo, Brazil. rodrigo@gastroped.epm.br

Pediatrics International : Official Journal of the Japan Pediatric Society
|August 17, 2006
PubMed

Insights

The 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) accurately diagnoses Helicobacter pylori in children but doesn't correlate with histological findings. Results should be interpreted qualitatively for pediatric H. pylori infection.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Diagnostic Testing

Background:

  • The 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) is a reliable non-invasive method for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infection in children.
  • This test measures urease activity in the gastric mucosa, potentially estimating bacterial load.
  • Helicobacter pylori infection is a common cause of dyspeptic symptoms in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the correlation between 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) results and histological assessments of bacterial colonization and inflammatory infiltrate severity in children.
  • To determine if 13C-UBT can quantify the bacterial load and inflammation associated with H. pylori infection in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Forty-four children with dyspeptic symptoms underwent endoscopy and 13C-UBT.
  • Helicobacter pylori infection was confirmed using histology, rapid urease test, and 13C-UBT.
  • Breath test results (delta over baseline - DOB, urea hydrolysis rate - UHR) were logarithmically transformed for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

  • A significant inverse correlation was observed between patient age and Log DOB (P=0.0005).
  • No significant correlation was found between Log UHR and age (P=0.336).
  • The study found no correlation between 13C-UBT results and histological grades of mononuclear infiltrate, neutrophilic infiltrate, or bacterial density.

Conclusions:

  • The 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) does not accurately estimate the severity of histological findings in pediatric H. pylori infections.
  • The diagnostic utility of 13C-UBT in children with H. pylori should be considered qualitative rather than quantitative.
  • Further research may be needed to refine the interpretation of 13C-UBT in pediatric populations.
Abstract

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