Refractory iron deficiency anemia and Helicobacter Pylori Infection in pediatrics: A review
Sh Gheibi1, H R Farrokh-Eslamlou2, M Noroozi3
1Associate Professor of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Maternal and Childhood Obesity research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Motahari Hospital, Urmia, Iran. drgheibi@umsu.ac.ir.
Insights
Helicobacter pylori infection is linked to iron deficiency anemia in children. Eradicating H. pylori may improve iron levels, but more research is needed to confirm this association.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Hematology
Background:
- Helicobacter pylori infection is increasingly recognized as a cause of refractory iron deficiency in children.
- Clinical reports suggest a link between H. pylori and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review evidence associating childhood H. pylori infection with IDA.
- To investigate the impact of H. pylori eradication on iron deficiency in children.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of pediatric studies published between January 1991 and October 2014.
- Included 14 case reports/series, 24 observational studies, 7 uncontrolled trials, and 16 randomized clinical trials.
Main Results:
- Most studies indicate a positive association between H. pylori infection and iron deficiency or IDA in children.
- Elimination of H. pylori infection appears to have beneficial effects on iron deficiency.
Conclusions:
- Evidence linking H. pylori eradication therapy to refractory childhood IDA is limited and data are conflicting.
- High-quality cohort research is necessary to establish a causal association.
Background:
Since the discovery of Helicobacter pylori, several clinical reports have demonstrated that H. Pylori infection has emerged as a new cause of refractory iron stores in children. We carried out a systematic literature review to primarily evaluate the existing evidence on the association between childhood H. Pylori infection and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and secondly, to investigate the beneficial effects of bacterium elimination.
Material And Methods:
This review concerns important pediatric studies published from January 1991 to October 2014. Fourteen case reports and series of cases, 24 observational epidemiologic studies, seven uncontrolled trials, and 16 randomized clinical trials were included in the review.
Results:
Although there are a few observational epidemiologic studies and some randomized trials mostly due to the potential confounders, most studies reported a positive association linking between H. Pylori infection and iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia among children. In addition, it seems that elimination of H. Pylori infection induces beneficial effects on iron deficiency.
Conclusions:
Since the evidence for the association of H. pylori eradication therapy and refractory childhood IDA is not enough and there are contrasting data about such association, future high quality and cohort researches are needed to determine the causal association.
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